Falling Leaves
by CamelliaWolf-0926
Summary: Throughout her ninja career, Camellia has kept a journal. She talks about transformation, love, and a life-long promise with the Akatsuki and Konoha. When a war breaks out in Konoha, what will she do to save her village and her loved ones?
1. The Beginning

**(A/N): Hiii everyone!!! So.... this is my first chapter to my first story ever published!!! I really hope you guys like it!!!  
Just to clarify, the main character in the story is in fact my own OCC. Her bio is on my profile if you really want to look at it. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of her but if anyone with really good drawing skills wants to draw her for me I would love that person for eternity!!!  
Also, I kind of need an editor ^^; if anyone wants to take on that task. If not, I'll just do it myself. But with my crazy life and what not, I lack the time to do more than just simple word spellcheck.  
Anyway! Enjoy! Don't forget to comment or fave if you think it's good enough. Feedback is always accepted!!!**

**Disclaimer:  
Me: Hey Camellia! Can you believe we are actually submitting this!?  
Camellia: I know! But, we need to get ahead to the story...  
Me: Ahaha right... Anywho, I don't own Naruto. Nope. Not at all.  
Camellia: -snickers- But I own-  
Me: Don't give it away!  
Camellia: Sorry... Enjoy the story everyone!**

**

* * *

**

_Dear Reader. I don't much care what village you are from, what kind of ninja you are, or whether you even are a ninja or not. I am writing down my journal for two reasons: so people know the truth of my life, and so people can learn from my mistakes. I will warn you, reader, that this is not a happy love story, or a story of a difficult journey that has an accomplished ending. This is not a story of a ninja who has worked hard to obtain a goal that no one thought possible, hell; I may not even be considered the good guy of this whole thing. This is a story about my life. No lies, no cutting corners, this is the real deal. Of course, it's not entirely bad. There is some good in what I have to say. But when it comes right down to it, if you don't want to know the hardships of being an outcast, the tortures of slavery, badly chosen and life changing decisions, or the never ending loss that must be faced, I would advise you to close this journal now and go back to whatever you were doing prior to picking this up. This, reader, is the story of Falling Leaves._

_I don't really remember much of the details of my childhood. The only day I really remember was the day that a disaster happened; a disaster that was put in place by the Hokage himself. It was a day that never really hurt me or crushed my spirit, but it certainly changed my life drastically.__

* * *

_

It was a normal, sunny day in the Uchiha Compound. I had woken up to warm rays of sun that filtered through my window, and the noises of everyday town life set me in a good mood. I stayed in bed another minute to try and name some of the noises I heard. One vendor was opening his shop, lifting his wooden canopy to reveal his goodies. Many voices echoed into the room, including laughter and my father chatting nearby. A few birds chirruped as they flew overhead and young children shrieked with delight to be outside and running around.

I quietly arose and made up my bed, then stalked over to Sasuke's bed, where he was sleeping soundly. Normally, I would have pushed him off, or ripped away the covers from his bed. Today, however, I was in such an ecstatic mood, I just simply could not bring myself to do so. I simply shook him gently on the shoulder and let his eyelids flutter open. He yawned and stretched before acknowledging me.

"Ohayou, Sasuke-kun! Come on, get up. Don't you know what today is?"

"Ohayou, Camellia-chan… Hey, Camellia-chan! Is it really today already? Today's the first day at the Academy, isn't it? Get ready, sis! We need to go!"

The two of us bounded about like rabbits getting ready for the day. Our mother prepared for us a lovely breakfast that we quickly munched at. As Sasuke helped to pack our lunches, I tried to construct two decent braids in my hair.

In reality, I wasn't Uchiha born. My hair was not dark and short, but long and golden red. My eyes were not deep, onyx orbs, but soft, sapphire ones. My skin was a few shades darker than most of the Uchiha's, but still pale. I was about the same size in height and structure as Sasuke, but my movements were slightly more graceful and nimble. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I remembered the day my mother told me I was different.

**~* FLASHBACK – AGE FIVE *~**

"Mother, I've been wondering," I knelt at the table and stared inquisitively into my tea.

"Yes, Camellia-chan, what is it?"

"Why is it that I look different from everybody else? I'm the only one in the whole clan that looks like I do."

"Do you mean your hair and eye color?"

"Yeah. I don't look Uchiha at all. It's like I don't belong." My features had sagged a little and my mother gave me a reassuring hug.

"I guess you are old enough now to know the truth. You see, when you were born, your parents were great ninja who fought valiantly in battle. They both died, however, during a certain battle a few years ago. The Third Hokage knew I was expecting a baby soon, and knew how much I had wanted a daughter even though I was expecting a second son. I adopted you as my own to be able to achieve that goal." She smiled warmly, and I tried to understand what she told me. I said the first thought that popped into my head.

"So you love me more than Sasuke-kun cause I'm a girl." I giggled, though I was partly serious. My mother giggled along with me and told me she loved us both the same, which I wasn't surprised to hear.

**~* END FLASHBACK *~**

* * *

Sasuke and I nervously entered the classroom and looked around at the other kids inside. A pile of girls turned their gazes to Sasuke and immediately were fantasizing about him. I laughed as the fangirls questioned him and gawked at him, and soon he was lost in the sea of attention. Most of the boys just scoffed and continued on with their lives. One kid, a blondie with large eyes the same color as mine, waved me over. He and his friends were planning some shenanigans to use throughout the year and invited me to join them. I was more than delighted.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm gonna be Hokage one day, you know. These are my friends," the loud and knuckleheaded blondie said. He gestured towards three other boys.

"Hey, nice to meet ya, I'm Nara Shikamaru," said one boy with chocolate brown hair that was pulled up to make it look like a pineapple. He raised one hand lazily in the air in greeting. I guessed that he was always like that, lazy and uninterested, but he had a sharp quality about him that made me wonder if he was as dumb as he led on.

The boy next to him crunched noisily on some potato chips. His hair was the same color as Shikamaru's, but it was styled differently. There were spirals on his cheeks that indicated he was from a clan. He was somewhat overweight, but seemed to care very little about that fact. He was very kind and shy, and seemed to be closet to the pineapple haired kid. "Akamichi Chouji, ohayou," was all he said.

"Heh, look, a girl in the group. This'll be interesting. Yahoo! I'm Inuzuka Kiba, and this is my buddy Akamaru!" This boy had spiky brunet hair and red triangles on his cheeks, also indicating he was a member of a clan. He had one fang that stuck subtly from under his lip and his eyes were narrow. He seemed extremely outgoing and almost crazy. A small, white dog with brown ears yipped as his master said his name. Out of all the guys in this group, Kiba definitely stood out the most to me. I didn't figure out why until many years later.

"My name is Uchiha Camellia. Pleased to meet you all. Hey, anyone know how to make a rice pudding bomb?" The guys' eyes lit up as I explained a way to fill a thin balloon with rice pudding and throw it at someone so it explodes all over them. We planned to try this on our teacher next week.

As our instructor, Iruka, delivered the role call, I was able to learn the names of my future team mates and Rookie Squad. Some were more expressive and always easily noticeable, like Naruto, Kiba, Ino, Tenten, Lee, and of course, myself. Others were quieter and more withdrawn, like Shikamaru, Chouji, Hinata, Neji, Shino, Sakura, and Sasuke. Just looking at all of these kids for the first time that day, I knew that we were going to grow up to be a close knit and strong group of ninja.

* * *

It was lunch break when I next saw Sasuke. He looked like he had gotten in a fight; his shirt and hair all messed up. I couldn't help but laugh at what seven year old girls were able to do to the poor boy.

"At least you're having a good time. Your friends seem like fun. Maybe you can introduce them to me later," he smiled.

"Okay! Oh, would you mind telling Mother that Kiba invited me to dinner tonight? His family is making a dinner for all his friends as congratulations for the first day of school, and I really wanna go." Our mother was pretty good about letting us be social, as long as there was some sort of adult supervision around. Sasuke agreed, and the bell rang for class. I was very excited for what was to come this evening… or at least, that's what I thought.

* * *

The guys and I were sitting in the kitchen, telling stories and laughing, generally having a good time. Kiba and Naruto were in the middle of a rice and soy sauce eating contest when the doorbell rang. I secretly turned my attention to the door, watching Inuzuka Tsume, Kiba's mother, open the door. By the darkness outside I guessed it was getting pretty late. The next thing I noticed was two ANBU, one was pointing to me, probably talking. Tsume looked to me and called me over. The others got quiet as I reluctantly approached the ANBU.

"You are Uchiha Camellia, correct?" I nodded. The ANBU looked down slightly to my level. "We have some tragic news. Your entire clan has been murdered, with the exception of Sasuke and Itachi. According to our records, these two are your brothers, no?"

I don't know if it was the fact that I had eaten my weight in food just minutes ago, or the fact that I was imagining how in the world my whole family had been annihilated, but either way, I found myself pushing past the two ninja and throwing up all over the Inuzuka's doorstep. I felt a hand on my back and it held me up until I was done. I looked up and met eyes with Kiba, who looked at me utterly shocked as we tried to understand what had just happened.

The second ANBU placed a hand on my shoulder, and told Kiba to head back inside. "Please come with us. Sasuke is resting in the hospital for now, and it would be beneficial for you to be with him. We can only imagine how you must feel about this." With that, the three of us headed for the hospital. I thought about it after, and realized how wrong the ANBU was. You can never come close to imagining what it's like to lose a whole clan in one night, your whole family swept from under your feet, and knowing it was your eldest brother was the one who committed this crime.

Sasuke awoke a few hours after my arrival, screaming and sweating from some excruciating nightmare. I had not yet fallen asleep, so I was quick to respond. I pushed him off the bed, as ordinary custom to waking him up, and he turned his wide, terrified eyes towards me. He wrapped his arms around me and cried. I hugged him back, but didn't seem to share the same sadness as him. I guess knowing they weren't my real family, and only truly being close to my younger brother, it didn't matter so much to me as it did to him. Still, I offered him solace, and we didn't speak. I waited until he fell asleep before I moved. I wasn't strong enough to lift him onto his bed, so I leaned him onto the nightstand and retrieved a nurse. When he was tucked in and calm, I finally relaxed and tried to sleep. These episodes happened three more times during the night, so I never really got the chance to rest properly. I however, didn't care. My brother was my number one priority right now.

_I remember that these nightmares haunted Sasuke for almost a year of his life before he finally started the long journey to facing Itachi in battle. The only person he kept close to him through the years was me. Of course, as we got older and were divided into two separate teams, our bond had lost its shape, but I still felt like I had to be the older sister that took care of him and watched over him. That's what got me in a lot of trouble about six years ago._

**(A/N): So... what did you guys think!? I know, there's a ton of better stuff out there... but I hope this wasn't too bad! Feedback anyone?  
I'm most likely going to submit the next chapter sometime within the next week. I'm already pretty far into it. The chapters will prolly get longer as the story goes... more work for me!!!  
Camellia: Plus, I don't remember much about my childhood.  
Me: Your life has been really scrwed up. If I were you, I sure wouldn't want to remember it.  
Camellia: -_- Tell me about it...  
Me: Anyway, until next time...  
Both: Ja ne!!!**

**

* * *

**


	2. A Wrong Decision

**(A/N): Hii everyone! So... I think I'm just a little too into this story... I've spent the past few days working on this one chapter. It took me forever to write compared to the last one. But, nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy it!  
I'm still kind of looking for an editor ^^;. With some proofreading that's not my own, I'm sure some of these chapters could be better. If anyone wants to help me, pleaseeee let me know! Also, I accept faves and flames, so please review/comment!  
Updating is going to be random. My goal is to update once, twice a week if I'm lucky, but with school and our shcool's musical going on, I won't have too much time to work on this. Anywho! Kiba? You wanna help with the disclaimer this time?**

**Disclaimer:  
Kiba: C-Wolf does not own Naruto. Not a single blade of grass or anything.  
Me: C-Wolf?  
Kiba: Yeah. It's shorthand for your account name.  
Camellia: Don't mind him... the whole nick name thing makes him feel important.  
Kiba: Hey! I _am_ important, thank you very much! -Akamaru yelps in agreement-  
Me: Well, anyway-  
Me and Cam: Ja ne!!!**_When we had graduated from the Academy, Sasuke and I only saw each other at our house, where I would cook a simple dinner and we would discuss our training. Sasuke always talked so ill-favordly about Naruto, one of my friends from the Academy. He talked even more bitterly about Sakura, the pink-haired fangirl that seemed only to talk about Sasuke and care only for him. He explained how the only person he could really tolerate was his sensei, Hatake Kakashi, and even he was annoying. He always was late and he was obsessed with these perverted books. I didn't mind my team so much. I can recall the first day we met as a team…_

* * *

"Ohayou, my children. My name is Yuhi Kurenai. I will be your sensei from this day forward. How about you all tell me a little about yourselves?"

I looked around at the other three members in my team. We did have an extra teammate, but the way the numbers were played out, one team would have to have that exception. The first one to speak was Shino. He wore a long coat that went down to his knees and had a collar that reached up to his nose. He had round, think, dark glasses and spiky, fudge-colored hair. "My name is Aburame Shino, from the Aburame clan. Do not distract or pester me, or I will have my insects eat you alive." I was slightly scared of his introduction, but heeded his warning nonetheless. My other teammates seemed to be a bit more terrified than I was which made me almost laugh.

"Well alrighty then. I'm Inuzuka Kiba, and this is Akamaru. I can't wait to kick all your asses in sparring, yahoo!" Kiba pumped a fist in the air and his small white canine yipped from the boy's head. Kiba didn't look much different from when I first met him, minus the fact he was taller and traded in his tan shirt for a gray jacket with black fur on the ends on the sleeves and hood. He looked at me and smiled. I was glad to have at least one person I really knew on my team. Sure, he was loud and obnoxious, but so was I.

"My turn! I'm Uchiha Camellia. As opposed to my clan, I do not posses the Kekkei Genkai of the Sharingan. I am an excellent trap master and have natural healing abilities. Don't piss me off, or you will have to answer to my Mekajiki." I shrugged a shoulder so that the large, thick blade that rested diagonally across my back made a light clinking sound. The blade was as long, but thinner than Zabuza's Zanbato, and the shape resembled a swordfish. Kurenai gave me a serious look, minus her eyes, that seemed slightly amused.

The last member of the team seemed to just stand there, twiddle her thumbs, and look around nervously. I remembered her, Hinata, from the Academy. She was always quiet, and spent her time training to surpass her cousin or stalk Naruto. Kurenai tried to encourage her to speak, and she seemed deeply embarrassed when she was acknowledged. "M-my name is H-Hinata Hyuuga. O-ohayou, everyone."

* * *

_I honestly don't remember most of the details of our training. We learned new skills and sparred regularly, and of course, there were the Chunin exams. I had beaten a Grass Ninja without even breaking a sweat, then of course, was Kiba's battle with Naruto. I was utterly concerned for Kiba. From being around him so much, I had developed keener senses; at that point, I could smell the determination in Naruto's blood. Everyone thought Kiba was going to win as easily I was, but I knew differently. I hadn't even realized that I spent most of my concern on the dog boy until after his fight…_

* * *

"What can I do for you, Miss?" the nurse at the front desk stopped me as I ran for the patients' quarters. I was glad she had done so, since I really had no idea where I was going.

"Could you please tell me where I can find Inuzuka Kiba? He is my teammate, and he just came here from a brutal battle at the Chunin exams."

The nurse smiled sweetly at me and gave me the directions. I thanked her, and waited until I was around the corner before I resumed running. I found the room with ease and knocked a few times. I heard a small bark from Akamaru, which I took as a sign that I could come in. I cracked the door open and took one step in. Kiba turned his shaggy head to the door and smiled. "I knew you would be here, Koinu."

_Kiba had come up with the nickname himself and he was the only one who ever called me by it. If I had known more about the Inuzuka's at the time, I would have learned that this particular nickname was a sign of possession. Kiba had claimed me as his since he met me at the Academy. It was a nice feeling to be loved like that._

"I had to rub it in that you lost to that knucklehead." Kiba grunted, and I giggled. I walked over to his bed and sat next to him Indian style. Akamaru sat in my lap and I began stroking his head. "How are you feeling? You look like you're hurting a bit."

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm only in here for another day or two anyway. Some of our friends really had their asses served to them today, though. Like Hinata. I'm going to kill that bastard cousin of hers next time I see him…" Kiba sighed, releasing his tension and slightly wincing in pain. Then he smirked and looked at me expectantly. "I was expecting flowers, or something. Isn't that customary for a friend to bring flowers to their injured comrades?"

"Baka! You just said yourself you didn't get hurt half as bad as our friends and here you are complaining about flowers? Man up, Kiba!" He laughed at my astonished reply. His smile hung awkwardly on his face as if he was thinking. I wondered what he was thinking about that made him look so… blissful.

"Ah, nothing, nothing. Camellia, you remember what I told you after we met our team a few months ago?"

* * *

~* FLASHBACK *~

"I think I may be getting sick, Koinu." Kiba and I were lying in a grassy field behind Kiba's house. Since we were little, we always found this place relaxing. Akamaru was running around playfully with other little Inuzuka pups. The clouds were slowly floating by, and the sun was shining just enough not to hurt the Genin's eyes.

"Nani?" I turned to look at him. I propped myself up with my elbow and faced him.

He sighed, his hands serving as a pillow under his head. "Sometimes, my body feels, well, not normal. My chest gets tight, my stomach feels like it's full of butterflies, and I feel like I just can't breathe. Akamaru is noticing it too. He says he's not sure what it means."

"Does it happen randomly, or do you notice it at certain times everyday?"

"I dunno. I just know that it only happens when I'm around a certain person. It's like I'm allergic to them or something."

I began to laugh lightly. Kiba sat up, placing his arms behind his hips and putting all his weight on his hands. He looked at me confusedly.

"Oh, Kiba-san," I said, sitting up and mimicking his position. "You're not sick, you're in love."

"Oh." He laughed. I laughed along with him. I gave him a genuine smile and closed my eyes, a kind of expression I only showed when I was truly amused, and Kiba looked at me blissfully, almost distractedly.

~* FLASHBACK END *~

* * *

"Hai, I remember. Are you still feeling 'sick'?"

"As smart as you are," he shook his head and grinned. "You haven't figured it out. Ever since I met you I-"

Kakashi-sensei burst through the door. Even though most of his face was covered in a mask, I could tell he was serious. "Camellia, Sasuke needs you." With a quick goodbye to Kiba, I rushed off with my brother's sensei. Kiba sighed. Of course, the time he wanted to talk to his teammate the most, she had to go and fuss over that Uchiha jerk.

* * *

_I had known about Sasuke's curse mark all too well. I was always suspicious that it was going to get him in a lot of trouble someday, but I was hoping it wouldn't be so soon. He had gone with Kakashi-sensei for a month to train with him for the Secondary's. Upon his return, he and Naruto got into an almost fatal battle, which made Sasuke feel like Naruto would be his superior much faster than expected. Also, Sasuke's match with Gaara, a rival of his from the Sand, was interrupted. The Sand and Sound ninja had joined alliances and invaded Konoha. The village had won, but we had lost our Hokage and other valuable ninja because of it. Our town had suffered great destruction of its edifices as well. _

_As Orochimaru fled, he sent four of his most loyal subordinates to retrieve Sasuke. The Uchiha agreed to leave, and came to the compound completely unaffected by the recent disaster. If I remember anything about what happened the next few days, I remember two things; I remember the night Sasuke decided to leave, and the battle at the Valley of End…._

* * *

The atmosphere around Sasuke was dark. He didn't even return my greeting, which was definitely out of the norm. "Sasuke-kun, daijoubu, what's wrong?"

"Pack up. We're leaving." He began packing his belongings into a bag without even looking up.

"Leaving where?"

"To Otogakure. With Orochimaru." I grabbed his wrist and he looked at it, trailing his gaze all the way up my arm to my face.

"No. Sasuke-kun, you can't. That's not the way to get power. Didn't you see what he just did to our village? He assassinated the Kazekage and played Sunagakure against us. How could you-" Sasuke discontinued my rant by placing his free hand over my mouth. His eyes were cold and hard.

"Listen to me, Camellia-chan. I will do _anything_ to obtain power. He has already destroyed Konoha for me, so leaving it is an easy task. Orochimaru already gave me his power. But it will take me over and kill me if I don't learn to control it properly, which is what he has promised to help me do."

"And what part do I play in this, exactly?" Sasuke and I took part in a staring contest, in which I ended up winning. He looked away and sighed.

"You've been with me through all these years, Camellia-chan. You have taken care of me and always tried to help me. If I just abandoned Konoha and left you behind, it would kill you. Now, it is my turn to take care of you. By killing Itachi, we will be free. Don't you see that? If you come with me, then not only will you be at ease knowing you are still taking care of me, but I will feel better knowing I can protect you."

* * *

_Those words will forever haunt my memory. I can't even begin to describe how much of a gullible teenager I was for following in the Uchiha's footsteps for so long. But, at the time, I believed that his words were true. I had always taken care of him, and that's all I wanted to continue doing. That's why it was so hard for me to watch the battle at the Valley of End without being able to help…_

* * *

Sasuke and I had approached the Valley of End, and I could smell Naruto getting closer. He had been following us ever since Sasuke escaped from his container and Lee had offered to take over fighting Kimimaro. Sasuke sensed him just about the same time I did. He took his bag off of his shoulders and handed it to me.

"Go hide in the thicket over there. He won't stop chasing us until he fights me, so why not fight him here?"

"Let me help you-"

"No. Go hide. I need to fight him alone."

"Hai," I disappeared into a puff of smoke and hid myself just in time for Naruto to approach.

They spent quite a few minutes exchanging words which I could not hear, then began fighting. I hated to see them fight; Sasuke being my figurative brother, and Naruto being my first friend outside of the clan. The blows they inflicted on each other tossed each other's bodies around in an ungodly manner. The fight eased a little, and the two were standing on logs that floated in the river. Here, they exchanged more words, this time I could hear the rumble of their voices.

"Why do you go so far for me!?" Sasuke shouted at Naruto.

"You were the first bond I ever made!" Naruto shouted back.

"Then maybe it's time I severed those bonds."

I could not watch the rest of the battle. Those words made me realize how cold-hearted Sasuke really was. But it was too late to turn back now. I used some of my chakra to deafen my ears temporarily and I pulled out a picture from my bag. It was the picture of my team. Shino was standing on one end, one hand shoved into a coat pocket, the other holding up his dark glasses. On the other side of the picture was Hinata, who was looking towards the rest of her team, mustering an amused half smile, and tapped her index fingers together, as she normally does. In the back, but standing proudly, was Kurenai-sensei. She had one hand on her slender hip, and the other held gracefully down by her side. She had a small smile on her face as well. In the center though, were me and Kiba, the two obnoxious members of the group. Kiba stood on the side closest to Shino, with Akamaru perched atop his head. The dog boy had an arm around my shoulders and made a cocky, toothy half smile with one eye closed. I was standing closest to Hinata, with one arm wrapped around Kiba, and the other displaying a peace sign to the camera. I had both of my eyes closed, and I smiled while sticking my tongue out about half way.

I looked at myself in the picture. I hardly recognized the girl with the spiky, crimson red, shoulder length hair and chilly blue eyes; a white, strapless tunic that fell down to where the ends of her fingertips could reach, the black obi around her waste, the long, black sleeves that cascaded far past the hands. The sleeves were not attached to the tunic, but tight leather at the top kept then on snug, a few strands of rope connected the leather to the silky sleeves. The girl wore her black headband around her neck. She also wore long, dark gray boots that stretched up just a few inches below the knee, and of course, the customary wrappings and kunai pouch were bound on her right thigh. Her sword was not with her in this picture, which just made her look like any ordinary tom-boy teenager in Konoha. This girl in the picture was the girl that was faithful to her village and her team. I looked into the river nearby and saw the same girl from the picture in the reflection. This girl in the reflection was the girl that would abandon her village to protect her younger, unbiological brother.

How could these images, that are completely different people from one another, actually be the same person?

_What the hell am I doing here? _I thought to myself. Just then, rain started to sprinkle. I looked up, watching the sprinkle turn into a downpour in mere seconds. I unblocked my ears and turned to see Sasuke crouched on the ground, his face inches from Naruto's. The blonde was okay, just unconscious. Sasuke had won. The raven haired boy made his way to my hiding spot. He grabbed his bag and gave me a curt nod. I looked back at Naruto for a quick second, whispered him a goodbye, and jumped into the trees with Sasuke. He eyed my village neck warmer narrowly. I noticed he had lost his headband in the battle.

* * *

_Sasuke had lost all care for what he had left behind and he was silently criticizing my inability to give up. In his eyes, I was a weak, ignorant troublemaker who always had to keep him in check as if he couldn't care for himself. In my eyes, he was a weak, cold-hearted avenger who would lose his mind without me constantly reminded him of sanity and humanity. But if I could change one thing about this whole crazy event, I would have broken his wrist that night we left and stay with my village, my team, and my blossoming love for a certain canine loving brunet. _

**(A/N): So, I both loved and hated writing this. Loved cause of the first KibaCam moment of the whole story 3. Hated cause I had to write about Sasuke. And I had to make his seem kinda nice to Camellia, so if he seemed a lil too OCC, gomenasai!**

Sasuke: Are you saying I can't be nice when I want to be?  
Me: In Kishimoto's version of the show, yes. In my version, only to Cam.  
Sasuke: I can be nice. See, I'm smiling.  
Me: Uh, no you're not and second, just cause you can smile doesn't make you a nice person.  
Sasuke: Hn.  
Camellia: Bakas...  
Me and Sasu: What was that? -_-*  
Camellia: You really wanna fight? -pulls out Mekajiki-  
Me: -hides behind Sasuke-  
Sasuke: Hn. You guys are so annoying...  
Camellia: Takes one to know one, Sasuke.  
Me: Anyway! See you all next time! Remember what I mentioned in my above AU! Ja ne!


	3. Changing Paths

**(A/N): Grr... oh, hi everyone. I've been having a really bad weekend. And this chapter did not help, since I had to write about Orochimaru and Sasuke, two of my least favorite people in the whole show. Bleh. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. I'm cutting my AN short cause I don't really have much else to say.  
Camellia: Don't forget about the news you received today.  
Me: Oh, right. I got an email this morning that told me something very exciting. For only having three chapters up, and only being here on fanfiction for about four days, I already have a suscriber! Arigato to .77... I was going to send you a PM but I don't know how -_- So, how about the disclaimer?**

Disclaimer:  
Sasuke: ...  
Me: Hey?  
Sasu: Nani?  
Me: Aren't you going to help me tell all our wonderful readers that I don't own Naruto?  
Sasu: You just did. Why do I have to?  
Me: I hate you.  
Sasu: Ouch, sudden anger cloud much?  
Me: I wish Kishimoto killed you when he had the chance.

* * *

Upon arriving to Orochimaru's hideout, a man with silver hair pulled back into a ponytail and glasses much like Shino's just not as dark, led us through a maze of corridors to a room where a tall, white-skinned and black-haired man was sitting in a throne like chair. His arms were pressed painfully into the arms of the chair, and seemed to be discolored compared to the rest of the visible white skin.

"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru cast a venomous grin towards us as we were brought to his presence. "I'm glad you could come. I see you were very tempted to taste my power. And look, you even brought me a snack." He licked his lips and his arms tensed more, as if he was going to jump up and eat me. Sasuke stretched an arm in front of me.

"She is here with me. I hope you don't mind, but I want her to stay here as a guest, not as a potential weapon for your collection."

The two held each other's gazes. Sasuke looked much older than he really was, to be able to take advantage of Orochimaru the way he did. The Sanin just smiled again.

"I accept your terms. She can stay only on one condition." We all waited silently for his response. "She must do everything I instruct her to do. And if she doesn't, she dies."

"Slavery," the raven haired boy whispered just loud enough for me to hear. I stiffened. "Don't worry. He won't bother with you all that much, since he will be spending most of his time with me. Just make sure you follow his orders, and he will let you live." I nodded.

"Do you have a name, kunoichi?" The hungry look in Orochimaru's eyes made my chest tighten up. For him to be able to frighten me this much this easily was not a good sign.  
"Uchiha Camellia, Orochimaru-san."  
"That's –sama to you!" The snake man nearly ran over and strangled me. His arms seemed to cause him pain, which stopped him from attacking me. For this I was most grateful to Kami-sama.

"She is not an Uchiha by blood, mind you. She has been with my family since her parents died in the Third Great Ninja War thirteen years ago. She does not posses the Kekkei Genkai. At the same time, please do not underestimate her. She has the ability to set traps that even your right-hand man could be easily fooled by. She also excellently wields a sword, called the Mekajiki." Sasuke described my talents monotonously. The hunger in Orochimaru's eyes returned again.  
"The Swordfish Blade. You are lucky to be trusted with such a weapon at your age. You must be strong and agile to be able to wield it, no? Kabuto," he acknowledged the silver-haired man. "Please bring our guests to their room. I have some preparations to make."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama."

We were walked to a dimly lit room. There were two beds to the left; one was placed under a small skylight that reminded me that the base was underground, hidden from the world and anyone who tried to trespass or intrude. There was a nightstand next to each bed, each equipped with a flickering white candle. To the right of the doorway was a closet big enough for both our belongings to fit. A desk was awkwardly placed in the center of the wall across from the door, where a stack of paper and an ink bottle rested. I was glad I had packed a few of the decorations from my room back in Konoha. Sasuke walked right in, placing his bag on the bed away from the skylight. He noticed that I was still standing in the doorway and hesitated.

"Camellia-chan…" Sasuke hardly ever used formal endings when referring to people unless he was concerned. I had felt a small prick in my neck and became dizzy. Then, everything went black.

* * *

I woke up in a different room than I had fainted in. The room was better lit and tables filled up most of the wall space. On these tables were a variety of books, beakers, liquids, and other materials. I was sitting in the one chair in the room, which resembled a hospital bed more than a simple place to sit. My wrists and ankles were tied to the sides with chakra binds. Kabuto was mixing a few ingredients together nearby. He seemed to notice I had come to, and began to speak.

"Camellia-san, I'm glad you are awake. Orochimaru has requested you to help him with something."

"And I have to be tied up like this in order to do so?" I retorted.

The silver haired man chuckled. "Your attitude has changed. We were hoping you weren't a scared little weakling. In any case, I will explain. See," he pulled a syringe out from a drawer. "Orochimaru is lacking sufficient test subjects, since they all either failed to survive the tests, or failed to comply to them. There is a certain power that Leader-sama would like to test, and he believes you would be the perfect test subject." He drained some of the liquid into the syringe. "It's shape shifting, the power. He wants to create an army of ninja that can transform into different creatures. The animal senses will be beneficial in battle for tracking and hunting. Since lycanthropy is the most famous kind of mythical transforming, we will start with injecting wolf DNA into your system." He came closer to where I was bound, needle in hand.

"Sasuke said you aren't allowed to use me as a guinea pig for your experiments. I'm just supposed to be a gopher for your master."

Kabuto chuckled again, pulling up one of my sleeves. "You're a funny little kunoichi, you know that?" He then stuck the needle into a vein in my arm and quickly drained the liquid from the syringe.

_I cannot even begin to describe the pain that I felt during the first transformation. I knew that it would be a horrible experience, but something went wrong that made it even worse. At the time, neither Kabuto nor myself knew what had caused the reaction, but the DNA infused with my chakra and a black armor of chakra, similar to Naruto's red chakra when he was in his demon stages, covered my body. I could feel my nails and teeth grow out and sharpen on their own, and I could feel my skin rip away to reveal a charcoal colored, glowing substitute for my flesh. My nose and mouth proceeded to stretch farther away from the rest of my face, creating a muzzle, and my feet and hands rounded into large, canine like paws. My chest, still not fully developed, flattened down to my ribs. Twelve tails were swaying wildly behind me and a howl ripped from my throat. The next thing I remember was another prick in my neck, which caused me to transform back into myself within seconds and lose consciousness once more. Whatever had gone wrong with the experiment, there was only conclusion that was clear: Kabuto just created a new Bijuu, Junibi no Ookami, the Twelve-Tailed Wolf. He spent a few months teaching me how to control my demon. At first, I did not want to listen to the evil medic. But I realized that I was now just like Naruto, and if he could contain his beast, then so could I. I had promised not to tell Sasuke of this matter, but somehow, he had figured it out on his own._

"Kabuto, what are the results of the wolf's training?" Orochimaru was watching the fire burn in the hearth nearby.

"She has successfully tamed the demon. It was not easy, my lord, but it has been done. She will be of great use to you now that she is able."  
"Good. We mustn't tell- Ah, Sasuke-kun, ohayou."

"What have you done to Camellia?" Sasuke's expression was cold yet composed as he stood in the doorway and faced the Sanin.

"Your kunoichi is fine, Sasuke. What are you talking about?"

"You," he pointed towards Orochimaru, "have broken your promise. You said you wouldn't use her as a guinea pig for your experiments, and look what you have done to her."

"Let me ask you something, Uchiha. Why do you care for the kunoichi so much, hmm?" Orochimaru watched as Sasuke lowered his arm and searched around in his mind for the right words to say. Orochimaru's lips curled into a sadistic grin as he waited.

"I believe she has the potential to outsmart my brother and can help me to kill him. She also has a strength that will be beneficial in the revival of my clan. I need her for these purposes."

"So you keep her in vain, not because you think of her as a sister? I must say, Sasuke-kun, you have regained my faith in you. I am glad you chose to follow me and leave that blasted Konoha," Orochimaru said. He then dismissed the two ninja in his room and sat in peace, gazing again into the hearth. After a short while, he chuckled once, and spoke. "You do not have to hide, wolf. They are gone." I dispelled my camouflage jutsu and stood in the space between the door and the Sanin. He looked at me, standing clad with a light blue kimono top with a white obi and white gi pants, which I only wore when I wasn't training. I uncomfortably pulled back a few strands of hair that had escaped from my messy ponytail.

"Gomenasai, Orochimaru-sama. I didn't mean to intrude. I will take my leave now." As I made my way out the door, Orochimaru called out for me to wait. I stopped, but did not turn around.

"I'm taking Sasuke on a little field trip for a few days. We are leaving in the morning. Don't do anything too reckless." I hesitated for a moment, then left, closing the door silently behind me.

Underneath these words was a message that I had picked up on almost instantly. It may have seemed like he was telling me not to try to escape, but it was in fact the opposite. He wanted me to flee from Sasuke while none of them were around to witness it. Orochimaru knew that I did not like what Sasuke had said about me and he believed I was strong enough to not succumb to my stoic foster brother.

* * *

_As soon as the two left the next morning, I began to pack my belongings. As I picked up the picture of my team from the desk, the blank journal caught my eye. I pakced it carefully with my belongings, deciding that maybe I could document my time in Otogakure; it could be important later on. I changed into my training outfit, loosening the leather straps on the sleeves to fit around the new muscle I had formed. Then, I rushed through the corridors and out of the hideout, leaping into the trees and jumping well into the next village. I pulled out a map and traced my finger from my location, around the west borders of the Fire Country, all the way to a village in in the Wave Country. I couldn't go through the Fire Country, incase I got too close to Konoha. I couldn't go home yet. I needed to find a certain someone who could answer all the questions I had burning inside of me. Something inside of me told me I would find him in the Village of Artisans in the heart of the Wave Country, a two day journey from the Land of Sound. I just hoped I was right._

* * *

**(A/N): Camellia: Hi everyone. C-Wolf is a little cranky so I'm going to write the AN for her. I just want to clear something up, now that this chapter is over. The italicsied parts are segments from my journal, which is introduced properly in this chapter. The regular font parts are the details and dialogue that kind of make a story out of the journal. I know, that was probably confusing, gomenasai. Just imagine that the italicised parts are the narrator in a movie that are heard but not seen, and the regular font parts are the movie itself.  
Also, don't forget to review and comment and such! All feedback is welcomed so C-Wolf can make this story the best it can be! And if anyone can tell us how to send PM's, since we spent about an hour trying to figure it out with no success.  
Ja ne, everyone!**


	4. Reunions and Compromises

**(A/N): Hellooooooo readers! I'm really happy! Do you want to know why? Well! Let me tell you... First off, I got over and 85 on a history test for the first time this school year! It's really going to bring my grade up. Also, I received some hand me down clothes from a friend of mine, and in the stack there was a turtle neck that looks exactly like Jill Taylor's from the movie 21. Thirdly, I finally finished this chapter after about five writer's blocks, three or four cups of caffinated tea a night, and motivation from my friends! Half of them don't even know Naruto, one doesn't even like it (curse him for his bad taste in anime -shakes fist-), but they always keep me on track with it. All the support, warm clothing, and good grades are just really making me feel accomplished. Well, enough about me, TO THE DISCLAIMER!!!**

**Disclaimer:  
I'm really getting sick of these... I DO NOT own Naruto! I DO NOT own any of the characters or the plot line! And if anyone thinks I'm copyrighting, God strike me with lightning (and that's saying something, since I'm an athiest). This is purely fan based.**

**So, ja ne everyone!**

_**

* * *

**The Village of Artisans was a beautiful village. It was half the size of Konoha, which was still fairly large. The marketplace was thriving and lively, taking up the center of the cobblestone city. The next layer of buildings was the shops and smiths. This village was best known for its weapons and other ninja supplies. Once a week, supplies were carted out to other villages; they even shipped some of the cargo to the Land of Water every two weeks. It was here that I became acquainted with the man who destroyed my life all those years ago…_

* * *

"Excuse me, miss. That sword you are carrying, is that the Mekajiki?" a man, who by the looks of his shop was a sword smith, beckoned to me.

"Hai, it is," I replied, walking over to the lean-to hut in which the man's shop was located.

"How beautiful it is. May I look at it a little more closely?"

I agreed, giving the man a warm smile. He asked me about my journey (_I only told him about the few days it took me to get here, telling him I came from Konoha. This wasn't entirely a lie, but I couldn't tell just anyone I had fled from the Sound Village_) and marveled at the skills I obtained at such a young age.

"It runs in the family," a familiar voice said from behind me. I whipped around and was surprised to see Uchiha Itachi. He was wearing a black cloak dotted with red clouds. Although his kasa covered most of his face, I could see strands of his raven black hair sticking out and his Sharingan glowing in my direction.

"Itachi-san!" The man frantically straightened his shoulders and bowed. "I did not know you had a younger relative, and certainly not one with such a sword as the Mekajiki. What can I do for you today, sir?"

"Nothing, arigato. I promised I would meet my imouto-san here. Camellia, let us go get something to eat."

Trying to hide my astonishment, I nodded and waved to the craftsman and followed Itachi to a nearby sushi stand. He gestured for me to sit. A waitress smiled at us as she handed out paper menus.

"Eat whatever you wish, imouto-san, my treat." I stared at Itachi, and he stared right back. A few minutes later, the waitress came back and took our orders. I finally broke the silence.

"What the hell is going on here? I haven't seen you in six years, and that was the day you killed our clan. What are you even doing here, talking to me?"

"I could very well ask you the same thing." I realized he was right; I had run away from Konoha, too. "But, I will answer your questions, as long as you answer mine."

"Hai. First off, what's with the cloak?"

"I'm not surprised you don't know, being so young. I am part of an organization called the Akatsuki. It is a small group of S-rank missing-nin—''

"Criminals," I said under my breath. But Itachi had still heard my comment.

"We prefer not to think of ourselves as such. Although, yes, out actions are approved by little. It was the only place I was able to go to after what I had done."

"Why exactly did you annihilate the whole clan except for me and Sasuke?"

Itachi was silent for a moment before continuing. "I can't tell you."

"Why the hell not? You said you would answer all my questions."

"And I will, in time. You have not been a ninja long, correct? You need to understand how the shinobi world words before I can explain." As he said this, the waitress came back with our food. We both broke apart our chopsticks and whispered out "itadakemasu's" simultaneously. We were silent for a while until Itachi began to question me.

"What are you doing so far from home anyway, Camellia?"

I swallowed my anago **(A/N: pre-boiled then freshly grilled salt water eel with rice)** hard. I didn't really want to tell him my story, but I couldn't think of a better one. I sighed, and shared my story, starting from the night of the Uchiha massacre to today. Itachi watched me intently the whole time, noting the way I moved my arms and my face as they changed from sad to content to fear. I avoided looking at the raven-haired man until I was finished, knowing his emotionless face would make me uncomfortable. I finally glanced over at him, but looked away just as fast, trying to hide my blush, without his kasa on, I was able to better see Itachi's face, which was rather handsome in its stoic glory.

"Camellia-chan?"

"Hai?"

"Would you like to stay with the Akatsuki? Only until you are ready to return to your village, of course."

"And watch you and your teammates kill people and destroy villages? No thanks."

"Is that really what you think of us? For the little bit you actually know?" Itachi inched a bit closer and his gaze hardened. Something inside of me felt threatened by the invasion of my personal space and my lips drew back in a fierce snarl. When I realized what I had done, I looked down at my empty sushi plate ashamed. This must be why he wants me to go with him, so I can learn to control the wolf's urges.

Itachi drew back. "You can't do that around Pein, or he will kill you. He is trying to find a power like yours to use to his advantage. As long as I am around to protect you, you have nothing to worry about. As soon as I am not at your side, you are vulnerable. Think about it. Do you want to go or not?"

_No, I hate you. I hate what you've done and it's because of you that I'm even here_, I thought to myself. But what he was saying was true. "I'll go, but only until I can control myself enough to be able to go back home."

Itachi nodded. "Kisame," he didn't even turn his head to recognize the man that was approaching us. I turned to see Kisame; he was taller than the Uchiha, and had blue skin. His face was decorated with small, sharp teeth, gills, and small beady eyes. He resembled a shark more than a human. What caught my attention most was the thick sword strapped on his back. I knew it was the Samehada and could absorb a person's chakra cleanly and completely. He stared at me with an evil grin.

"Who's the cutie? My lunch, I hope."

"She's my imouto-san."

Kisame's smile flipped upside down "She doesn't look at all like an Uchiha."

"She's not, but she has been with my family since her birth. She is still my sister, and is coming back to headquarters with us, _as a guest_. Clear?"

"Clear," the shark man grumbled. I flashed him my trademark smile, the one I used in the picture of my team. The waitress came and cleaned out table, Itachi paid her well over the bill, and we headed out. I felt slightly out of place, walking with the two cloaked men to a place full of S-rank criminals. As the sun beat down on us as we walked, I became jealous that I didn't have a kasa. Then I remembered that I wasn't in the Akatsuki, so I shouldn't have one, or even want one. I dismissed the thought and continued walking.

* * *

_The whole journey to the Akatsuki HQ, I was conflicting with myself whether or not this was right. Itachi told me more about the organization and how no village trusted them except for the Rain Village, which their leader, Pein, reigned over. I had come up with an idea that would be beneficial for my village, but Itachi mentioned that Pein would have to have some interest in me to even consider listening to me. Still, I was determined to make what I could of my current situation. My whole family had been killed in one night, I ran away from home with a person I grew less attached to every day, was unintentionally given the power of a demon, and was reunited with the man who started this whole string of events. It was time to take some action and make some good out of all this evil. I knew this would not be easy, but I had already gotten this far, I was not going to give up yet._**(A/N): Sooo.... gomen, this chapter was short compared to previous ones. But as I mentioned earlier, I had a lot of writer's blocks, so I kinda just did what I could. The next few chapters will make up for it hopefully ^^.  
Camellia: Can I say it now? It's been like three chapters since you told me to wait.  
Me: This is the first time Itachi has been in a chapter. You need to wait until the next one or two.  
Itachi: I have a feeling this is not going to be good...  
Cam: -smiles deviously-  
Me: Well, anyway, don't forget to review/comment! All feedback is welcomed and encouraged! Ja ne, and have a good weekend everybody!**


	5. Duels, Blood, and First Impressions

**(A/N): Hiiii everyone! -Sigh- I know, I'm horrible. This may affect me more than you guys, since I don't really have many readers yet, but I am two days late in submitting this. I was going to submit it Friday, like I usually do (or at least plan to do) and I didn't get it done until about ten minutes ago. Grr. Anyway, now it's up! And it's finally long-ish! I'm so done with short chapters. I finally got to the point where they are longer, which means more work -_-. I also apologize for any impossible to ignore typos cause sometimes no matter how much I edit something, it unfixes itself and I can't do anything about it. I'm trying to have that not happen as much as possible!  
Also, midterms are almost over! I've been so busy with those that I haven't really slept at all this week. I got a 98 on my Physics midterm which made me really excited. Then I got an 82 on my History midterm. Would you believe me if I said this was my best grade on any form of History test this year? Bittersweet moment there. We haven't gotten our Latin grades yet, but I hope I did good on that -crosses fingers-! All that's left is Math, so pretty much, studying is OVER! YAY!  
I know, you're prolly sitting there thinking "Geez, will you just get on with the story already? No one cares about your grades." Well, fine. Obviously you guys don't think I'm important. So, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! Ja ne!**

**Disclaimer:  
Me: I do not own Naruto. It's completely Kishimoto's thing.  
Camellia: Except for me. I'm not gonna be one of his bitches.  
Me: Camellia! Be nice! What if he reads this? (Sorry Kishimoto, incase ur reading this!)  
Cam: -Shurgs- Just saying. Other than me, he owns Naruto and the whole plot concept that we seemed to kinda screw over.  
Me: If that's the nicest way to put it, then yeah ^^;. Shall we end this disclaimer now?  
Cam: Oh, we shall.  
Both: Ja ne!**

* * *

It was the next morning. I was kind of tired from my rather restless night and was glad that we only had another eight miles, or three to four hours, before we reached the Akatsuki HQ. We had traveled most of the morning without break, so I was glad when Itachi finally announced a break.

"Come, Kisame, Camellia, let's rest here a bit. We have plenty of time before we need to be home."

We climbed up a small hill and I looked at the view in front of me. The land was so green and fresh that I began to feel homesick. I almost jumped as Kisame nudged my foot.

"Baka, what do you want?" I snapped.

"How long have you been wielding that blade?"

"Since I was ten. We were allowed to test weapons one day in the Academy; I was so natural with the sword, my sensei granted me with my own sword. I call it the Mekajiki, the swordfish, because of its shape." I unsheathed the sword from the black leather strap that holds it on my back. The blade was long and flat, shaped mostly like a slim rectangle. The end of it was shaped much like the head of a swordfish; one edge of the blade was longer than the other, making a point. A small piece of metal jutted out from the other edge to resemble an open mouth.

"And you're what, thirteen now?" He sneered.

"Fourteen," I shot back at the shark man. He grunted.

"Well," Kisame smirked, "how about we duel to kill the time, my Samehada against your Mekajiki? The first one to wound the other wins."

"You both will just waste your energy, we still have a ways to walk before we get to base that requires us to have our maximum stamina," Itachi merely sighed. His chin was resting on his hands and his eyes were closed.

I jokingly punched his arm. "Aw, come on Itachi; let us have a little fun. Besides, I won't give him any fatal wound, just a little scratch."

"Oh, you're such a lady," the shark man snorted. I gave him my signature smile. While I had my eyes closed, Kisame unsheathed his sword and charged at me. I stopped his blade with mine, our faces inches from each other. An excited fire ignited in Kisame's eyes. "Let the dance begin."

We pushed each other back and took out stances. Kisame ran and jumped high in the air, clutching his blade above his head. As he landed, out blades clashed loudly. We slashed at each other a few times, blocking blow after blow. Kisame swung for my shoulders, and I ducked, pin wheeling my blade under his feet. He jumped and landed a few feet back. He ran forward the moment his feel met the ground and rushed at me, and I used one hand to make the hand signs needed to create a substitution jutsu, which I initiated just in time to miss a stab to the stomach by Kisame.

"Little weasel… Where the hell'd she go?" Kisame looked left, right, up and down. I held my blade out to my right and called out to the confused man.

"You forgot to look behind you!" He was half-way turned toward me when I swung the Mekajiki right across his stomach, but just nearly missing him. He used his blade to block and we sparred a bit more, metal smashing against metal. I pulsed a little chakra into my feet and jumped high in the air, moving behind Kisame with a graceful front flip. I sped at him then, only gripping onto my sword with one hand. I grabbed Kisame's wrist as he swung at me and pulled it up, and made a slice in his shoulder. It wasn't too deep and I hadn't cut and major veins, but that sucker bled, and bled, and…

* * *

_I don't recall what happened after I saw all that blood, but Itachi had me well informed afterward. He said I entered a vicious state of bloodlust and lost control of myself. He said my teeth and nails grew to an inhumane length and my eyes changed from blue to amber. Itachi had tried to place me in a genjutsu, but had failed since I was much too far into my demon phase to be affected. Instead, he seized my shoulders and stared at me, his eyes unblinking and seeming to talk to my own. 'Stop this, Camellia,' they said. 'You are not a monster. But if you act like this, people will think you are, and you will never be able to go home.' _

* * *

Tears welled up in my eyes and I turned back into my normal appearance. Itachi then did something completely out of character; he embraced me as I cried, and as I clung onto his cloak, feeling fragile and broken, I felt some of the pain leave my soul, as if the raven-haired man was absorbing it from my very being.

"A-arigato," I whispered to him. He simply nodded and released me.

Kisame smirked as he approached us. "A cuddly Uchiha, who knew?" Itachi "hn'ed", which caused Kisame's smirk to widen as he plopped his kasa on his head.

"I think it's time we get moving. Daylight is limited." He acted as if what he had just done never happened. I completely understood why and wasn't offended. The blue-skinned man kept his distance from me the rest of the walk, leaving Itachi to be in between us. The smell of Itachi that lingers on my kept my distracted from the smell of Kisame's blood. We walked the rest of the time with only minimal chat. I was too lost in my thoughts to even notice anyway.

* * *

It was almost dusk by the time the three of us reached the Akatsuki base. I could feel my stomach flip and my lungs explode from being so nervous. Itachi pressed his arm into mine as an act of reassurance.

"This is the first test, Camellia, so listen closely. You will not talk to anyone until we reach Leader-sama's office, not even me. I will escort you to the office and will stay there, however. Do not speak unless you are addressed directly. Camellia-chan, breathe, relax, I will help you through this."

"Hai." I shook my head a little and composed myself.

"Oh, and one more thing, I need all of your weapons. Though I know you won't hurt anyone, no one else knows you and therefore won't trust you, so it's best to take away any of the temptation."

"I understand," I said as I began to strip myself of kunai, shuriken, wire, etc., and of course, my sword. Itachi put all of my small tools into my weapon pouch and clipped it next to his under his cloak. He carried my sword, and began to enter. I took one last deep breath and followed.

We first walked down a corridor about fifteen feet long that led into a den. For a house full of criminals, I was surprised at how well furnished the place was. There were a few couches facing a fireplace, which was lit and crackled. There was a bookcase and a large, cozy looking armchair in one corner of the room. I wanted to sit down and snuggle by the fire, but I couldn't do that just yet. Kisame was sitting on one of the couches chugging a bottle of sake. He was conversing with a young looking man with a blonde ponytail, with bangs that covered on of his pale blue eyes. He looked up when he heard Itachi close the door, instantly looking me up and down. He beamed at the man sitting near him.

"So that's her, yeah? That's the kunoichi that sliced you? Kisame, you're losing you touch, being beaten by her, yeah." The young man then laughed. I did all I could not to slap him. _Do I honestly look that weak to you, punk? _I yelled at him in my mind. How I wished I could say those words aloud.

Itachi looked at him with a stoic gaze. "Deidara, please refrain from provoking my imotou-san." Deidara narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha, giving off the feeling of disgust at the statement. Kisame chuckled once.

Itachi then began walking away from the men and down another corridor. I followed him silently, the nervous feeling in my lungs threatening to come back. At the end of the corridor we stopped in front of a wall. With all the doors that dotted the hall, I wondered why we stopped here, where there was obviously no door. Itachi knocked on the wall three times and a door spiraled into place. It was an impressive genjutsu; it must have been the entrance to Pein's office. Itachi wrapped his hand around the knob.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

I simply nodded and he opened the door. An orange haired man with several facial piercings and strangely spiraled eyes sat at a desk. He looked up at us as we entered.

"Itachi, what is this? I sent you to retrieve a scroll, and you bring me a little girl?"

"I have your scroll, Leader-sama," Itachi placed a small scroll in front of Pein. "But I would like to ask your permission to give this kunoichi temporary shelter. She is my imotou-san, adopted by my family when she was an infant. She has recently run away from Orochimaru, where she was imprisoned for a while, and does not wish to go home until she is over her trauma. She is not even afraid of us. You should ask Kisame about that."

Pein moved his eyes to me and I gave him my signature smile. _Little girl my _ass, I thought. _I put a gash in your fish man's shoulder._ I was inwardly thanking Itachi for keeping his promise to not mention the demon. Things would have been ugly if he did, I assumed.

"Do you have a name, kunoichi?"

"Uchiha Camellia, sir," I said without hesitation. If Itachi said I was unafraid, I would have to show that I was unafraid, no matter what the butterflies in my stomach told me.

"Camellia, you do realize we're are an organization of S-rank ninja, not an orphanage? We don't take in just any lost ninja, even if you are family to a current member."

The door opened once again and Itachi entered with Kisame behind him. I hadn't noticed he left. That's when I realized what I was really getting myself into. Pein's expression didn't change as he glanced at Kisame's wound.

"We dueled," he grumbled, "and I lost."

"This is the weapon that caused the wound," the raven-haired man held out my sword so his leader could see it. This peaked the Akatsuki leader's interest.

"Okay, kunoichi, I want to see you hold that blade. Show me some of your skills. If you can do that to one of my best fighters, I can only assume you have some intriguing techniques." Itachi handed me my sword and I used one hand to spin it in a few circles before gripping the handle with both hands. Then I crouched down and pin wheeled, causing the two men standing nearby to jump in order to dodge. In mid pinwheel I tilted the handle up and twisted my wrist, causing the blade to rise to stand on its tip and spin like a top, In one fluid movement I stood and pulled my sword above my head, making one rotation before placing it back on its tip and leaning on the top of the handle with my elbow. I was hardly panting.

Itachi leaned over to Kisame and whispered in his ear, "She went easy on you, and you lost. She's a prodigy, just like I was."

"Damn straight," I growled, facing the two men. Itachi gave me a warning look. It wasn't because of the comment itself, but because I had commented. I hadn't realized until then that the wolf demon boosted my senses. It was unintentional, and it made me want to laugh at how I could so easily eavesdrop. Suddenly, I went rigid. Kisame muttered some incoherent phrase and the metallic smell of his blood filled my nostrils. Kisame's wound had opened up again and was bleeding. Pein cocked his head to one side. My physical features began to change.

"Kisame, leave now," Itachi ordered and the shark man was gone. Itachi kicked away my sword and grabbed my shoulders. I thrashed about a bit, this time a little more aware of what was going on, obviously still slightly in control of myself.

My eyes then locked with Itachi's. I remembered what he had said to me the first time this had happened. When he saw that I had gotten his message, he loosened his grip and let go. I instinctively gripped into the raven-haired man and began to cry, just like I had earlier. He and I both knew how badly I needed him. He was the first person to help me after my imprisonment in Otogakure when I didn't even want to go home yet. He was an S-rank missing-nin that killed his entire clan before leaving his village without a trace, but he insisted on reuniting with his adopted sister to help protect her until she was willing to go back home. I found absolutely nothing wrong with this, except for the fact I was comfortable with it. My features finally returned to normal and I settled down, letting go of Itachi.

"G-gomenasai," I chocked out to the orange haired man and I bowed. He seemed to be absorbing the outburst and evaluated me with his eyes.

"Itachi, take her to get some rest. We can discuss this matter once she is settled in."

"Hai, Arigato, Leader-sama."

* * *

Itachi led to me one of the various doors in the hall and placed my belongings on a nightstand inside of it. He rested my Mekajiki against a wall and hung his kasa on the handle. I sat on the bed and sighed.

"Itachi, I'm really sorry. I couldn't stop Junibi. I've been controlling it so well, but the blood just makes it go crazy. I just-"

Itachi placed a finger on my lips. "Camellia-chan, enough. Rest here while I talk to Pein. Please don't worry. Remember what I told you? As long as I'm around, you have nothing to worry about. Go to sleep."

I nodded and crawled under the covers of the soft bed. Itachi waited until he thought I was asleep before he left, shutting the door behind him quietly. I waited a few moments before I jumped out of the bed. I stalked over to the door, hoping not to step on any loose floorboards, and opened the door just enough to slip through it. The secret door to Pein's office was only two doors down from the room I was in, so I was able to only take a few silent steps before crouching next to the door. I wanted to listen to the conversation incase Itachi neglected to tell me about it later. I would also be able to get a head start in escaping if need be.

"Leader-sama, I apologize for the outburst. It is a new power in which she has obtained as a defective experiment of Orochimaru's and the blood seems to be her kryptonite. We were trying not to inform you of this, because we were certain she was in control of it."

"Is she a…" Pein asked sternly.

"Not exactly. It was artificially made by Orochimaru. I do not know his original intentions that caused this mishap, though." There was a short pause.

"Itachi, were you afraid I was going to kill her?"

"Hn."

"I wasn't planning on it. The kunoichi has a potential in her that I hope to see blossom in later years."

"You would consider recruiting her?"

"I am interested in her abilities."

"Camellia will not make the same mistakes I have!" A banging sound made me flinch. It was the sound of bone on wood and slight splintering.

"Mistake? Are you saying you regret joining our ranks? This is all you have, Uchiha! Once the news spread around that you annihilated you clan, no other village would dare take you in! And don't you dare order me like that again! I'm doing you a favor by letting her stay here so you can stabilize her, don't make me change my mind!"

There was another pause. I heard Itachi sigh. Pein spoke again, calmer this time.

"What I can't seem to wrap my mind around is why she followed you and Kisame here instead of going back home. Is she really that brave, or is she really stupid?"

"You saw her lack of control. Camellia was just injected with a demon; she can't go home that unstable. It was just by chance I met her in the Village of Artisans and brought her here."

"That's another thing, Itachi. _Why_ did you bring her here?"

"Hn." His response seemed to dissatisfy Pein, because he grunted softly.

* * *

_I found myself a bit dissatisfied with his answer too. Sure I had agreed to come here, but why did he ask me in the first place? It was then that I decided to go back to my room. I was quite tired and the conversation probably wasn't going to be very interesting after that little argument anyway. I silently made my way back to the room and shut the door behind me. I removed my boots and placed them next the nightstand. I unwrapped the ninja tape around my thigh that usually had my kunai pouch over it and threw it in the small trash bin that was in the corner near a sliding closet door. I took off my sleeves, obi, and scarf and folded them neatly, placing them on the nightstand. Finally, I cuddled under the covers in the soft bed and fell asleep. It was the best sleep I had gotten in months._

**(A/N): So... now the story REALLY begins! I know, I'm making Itachi really OCC here... but I sort of had to. Gomen! -dodges a rotten tomato-  
Anyway, I hope you guys liked the new chapter! Is anyone dying to figure out Itachi's motives to being so nice to Camellia? Well guess what? You have to wait until further chapters to find out! I have this really good idea for an arguement between Itachi and Kisame and it's gonna be awesome. It prolly won't happen for quite a few chapters tho...  
Well, I'm going to get going. I've neglected hygeine for a few days and I think I'm going to congratulate myself for submitting this finally by taking a nice hot shower.  
Don't forget to review/feedback or whatver it is you guys want to do. Thanks to the few of you that have suscribed/faved this story already. Major arigato! Love you all! So until next time, ja ne!**


	6. Transformations

**(A/N): Helllloooooo everyone! How are you all doing? Major arigato to my followers for leaving me wonderful comments or just for suscribing to me:  
~Epic. Anime. 77 -- sorry about the spaces but the name dinna show up if I dinna write it that way -_-  
~Yuti-Chan  
~Taru Galateia  
~blksnowangel  
~The-Kiwi-Lover  
Camellia: In response to blksnowangel, this story is going to continue for quite a while, believe us on that!  
Me: Haha of course it will! Well, this has definately been one of my favorite chapters I've written so far. And okay, so maybe I've made some of the characters a lil OCC, but please dinna hate me for that! Gomen! Oh, Camellia, winna there something you wanted to say a few chapters back?  
Cam: Hehehehe.... Itachi is the best!!! He's mine! Well... in the sense that he's my nii-san and he gives the best hugs ever!  
Itachi: Considering I'm an S-rank missing-nin working for an "evil" organization, it'd be best to avoid mentioning my hugging skills. If my boos read that, my reputation would be ruined.  
Me: Oh, you have no idea... -snickers evily-  
Itachi: Have I mentioned I have a phobia of your though process? Because I am almost scared of what "idea" you have for me.  
Cam: It's not that bad Itachi. I know exactly what she's talking about. You just have to wait a while to figure it out ^^  
Itachi: Lovely...  
Me: Welllll anyways! Let's get to the disclaimer so you wonderful readers can get to the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Itachi: I am pleased to say that C-Wolf does not own Naruto. She does not own any of the characters or the plot line.  
Me: Is everyone going to call me that now?  
Itachi: Yes. Since it'd be to confusing to call you Camellia, since we already have one. You named your penname after your character, smart one.  
Me: Haha right... I winna really thinking when I made my account...  
Cam: We can tell.  
Me: Oh you're nice. Well it's true, I dinna own Naruto and all the credit goes to Kishimoto for creating it. Until next time, ja ne!**

* * *

"Camellia… Camellia…" a faint voice called out. I opened my eyes to see nothing but white. The voice echoed throughout the empty space. "Camellia…" A dark, fuzzy figure began to make its way to where I was standing. I finally recognized the figure as Kiba. He seemed excited when he finally caught sight of me; lifting me up an arm and waving.

"Kiba!" I yelled, waving back.

"There you are, Koinu!" He ran to me and lifted me in the air, spinning me around before setting me down. It was then that I noticed other comrades and sensei's appeared around Kiba and me. I was overjoyed to see all their smiling faces.

Suddenly, a look of fear crossed everyone's faces. They backed away, even Kiba. Akamaru, who I hadn't even noticed until then, growled at me fiercely. The fear turned into rage and an uproar began.

"Monster! Evil! Stay away!" The voices around me shouted.

I looked at my comrades and wondered what had caused this uproar. When I tried to talk to them, a gruff bark replaced my voice. It was then that I looked down and noticed I was no longer human, but wolf. I didn't see my feet, but I saw long black-furred legs and white paws. Then the floor turned into a white mirror and I saw my wolfish face, which was black with white eye hooks and a small ring around each amber eye. I turned my head to see a few white stripes on my back and a bushy black tail with a white tip. My pointy ears perked and I turned back toward the crowd, seeing then advance towards me with weapons in hand. I tried to back away, but my legs were frozen in place. I howled as the crowd crouched back, awaiting the attack and…

* * *

"Camellia-chan," Itachi shoved my shoulder, waking me up. I opened my eyes and shot up, gasping from the sudden interruption from the nightmare. "Are you alright?"

"Hai, I just had a nightmare. Did you need something?"

"It's morning. You slept so long, more than twelve hours, so we were beginning to worry if you were alright. Pein has asked you to join the group for breakfast if you'd like. Are you interested?"

"Hai," I said as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Next to sleep, my nutrition had horribly neglected so any food was welcome at this point.

"There is a small box for you in the lady's restroom that contains basic toiletries."

"Lady's restroom?"

"Pein wanted our female member, Konan, to have her own personal space to fulfill her hygienic needs, so, we had a separate restroom for her. Oh, that reminds me, there is a surprise in the closet you may find useful as well. Come down whenever you are ready." With that, Itachi was gone. I stood and stretched, shaking off the lingering feeling of fear and confusion the nightmare had given me.

Barefoot and dressed only in my tunic, I padded down the hall to a door that was labeled specifically for women. I inwardly sighed of relief. Enduring any length of time with a group of only men, especially ones I didn't even know, was not something I had been looking forward to. After brushing me teeth and my crimson locks, I headed for the closet, remembering the surprise that was awaiting me there. I slid open the sliding door and my jaw dropped. Hanging on the hooks was a small collection of new, clean clothes. I had not worn clean clothes since I left Otogakure about a week ago. I picked out a pair of black shorts that stopped about mid-thigh and a red kimono top with long sleeves that slimmed to my figure. It went on like a jacket, but one side overlapped the other. I picked up my black obi from the nightstand to tie around my waist in order to keep the top on. I carried the pile of clothing and proceeded to the restroom to change. Upon leaving the bathroom a few minutes later, I realized I should have taken a shower. It would have felt so nice, but I didn't want to be late for the breakfast I was expected to attend. Besides that, the smell of the food overwhelmed my nose and drew me down the stairs to the kitchen, which was opposite the hall way on the other side of the living room.

The kitchen was fairly large, considering there was a ten-seated table in the middle. Half of the sears were full of hungry, talkative men. At one of the heads of the table was Pein, his hands folded over his mouth as he observed his cohorts. To his left was Itachi, then Kisame, who seemed engaged in a loud conversation with Deidara, who sat across from him. A redheaded man whom I didn't know was sitting next to Deidara. He made a few occasional comments in the conversation. Itachi exchanged only a few words before he shifted his eyes in my direction. He cleared his throat, and Pein looked up at me as well. The leader unfolded his hands and began to speak.

"Camellia-san, ohayou. Will you sit and eat? There is a seat here for you."

"Arigato, and ohayou to you as well," I smiled as I took the empty seat that was directly across from Itachi and in between Pein and Deidara.

"Hey there, yeah. My name's Deidara. We never got formally introduced yesterday, yeah," Deidara said as he passed me a plate. I stared at him for a second before slapping his cheek so hard his neck snapped in the other direction. He cursed.

"That's for what you said yesterday." Everyone glared at me and I became uncomfortable. The blond began to laugh, followed by Kisame and the redhead. Itachi sighed and Pein's eyes looked slightly amused.

"Camellia, correct?" the redhead asked, gaining my attention. "I am Sasori. I'm pleased to meet you, but I'll pass on the greeting slap, thanks." I smiled and greeted Sasori. _For a group of S-rank criminals_, I thought to myself, _these guys aren't half bad_.

Eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit were served for breakfast and the six of us chatted about pretty much everything. I was asked about my journey here and my abilities, and was told the same information by the men. Itachi spoke for the first time since I entered the room.

"So, Camellia-chan, are you happy with the surprise in the closet?"

"Hai, I am. Where did you obtain them, anyway?"

Pein cast a small grin. "They are old clothes of Konan's. She is the only female in the Akatsuki, but she leads with me. She is my partner, like Kisame is Itachi's, and Deidara is Sasori's. When I told her of your arrival, she responded immediately and provided you with the proper necessities."

"Where is she now?"

"Today is Sunday. She's at the marketplace in the nearest town, buying groceries and such. She will be delighted to have a girl here to keep her company. Maybe she will even take you with her next week."

"It's not easy for her to have to deal with all of us guys here," Sasori explained. I nodded. General conversation started again as everyone finished eating. Itachi looked at me, and I smiled at him. I started to think that maybe this whole visit wasn't going to be so bad, after all.

* * *

I heard the door shut and looked up to see Itachi standing in the bedroom. He shrugged off his cloak and draped it at the foot of the bed. On the second day of my visit, I had found out that I had to share a room with him, except on the weekends, when he spent his nights keeping lookout for the base. Out of respect, he provided separate blankets for each of us and the bed was large enough that we hardly even touched.

Itachi took his place next to me on the floor and watched me as I flipped through various books and scrolls.

"You really shouldn't spend so much time studying. You'll strain your eyes," he said.

"You're one to talk," I mumbled, not looking up from the scroll that lay across my folded legs. I knew about the constant strain Itachi suffered because of his Sharingan, and that he was slowly becoming blind. Heck, in the three weeks I'd been at the base so far, I knew almost every little detail about everyone, not just him. I had even met the other members who were absent at my arrival: Hidan, Kakuzu, and Zetsu. Itachi hn'ed at my reference to his failing eyes. "Itachi, look at this," I said as I finally looked up at him.

"Nani? Does this have to do with your studying?"

"Hai, I think I've finally tamed the Junibi," I removed one of my detachable black sleeves and help out my arm. I closed my eyes and channeled some chakra to my arm. I placed my hand on the floor and Itachi watched intently as the limb slightly changed its physical proportion and my hand squished into a canine like paw. Black fur covered the limb, except for the toes, which were white. I opened my eyes and locked my now amber orbs with Itachi's onyx ones.

"You've been working all this time on mixing your demon with a transformation jutsu?"

"Hai," I dispelled the jutsu and my arm returned to normal. "I've been studying the anatomy of a wolf, along with more advanced transformation jutsus and the history of the tailed beasts."

Itachi continued to stare at me. He looked as if he wanted to say something. Instead, he raven-haired man closed all of my books and scrolls and sat me in his lap, the way a father would when trying to comfort a child.

"Itachi-san, what's the matter?"

"I can't do this," he whispered mostly to himself.

"Can't do what?"

"I can't make you join. Pein is ignorant."

"I don't understand."

Itachi put his hands on my shoulders and held my gaze. "Pein has a plan. He knows you are going to leave soon and wants you to help be a bridge of peace between us and Konoha. But he seems to think that your village will reject you, since they already have one Jinjuriki, and may not want to deal with another. But if Konoha does welcome you, which I assume they will, they will have to trust us or we will be forced to kill you, and no one on either side really wants that to happen. Once the allegiance is made, your loyalties will therefore lie with both places, and you will have to switch between us and them."

"He wants to use me, is that it? I'm more of a hostage until the allegiance is made. If Konoha chooses to accept, I must join the Akatsuki. If Konoha chooses to reject, I will be hunted down. Is that his plan?"

Itachi sighed, a bit frustrated. "There's a method to his madness. With the trust of one of the most powerful ninja countries, he believes his goal to rid the world of pain will be easier. Plus, he and Konan are the leaders of Amegakure and have many allies already. Those places will also have to be loyal to Konoha because of that. In truth, most of their allies are only allies because they are afraid of what our leaders can do to them. They've wiped out entire villages before."

A million questions swam around in my head. I took a deep breath and best my head down so that my forehead was resting on Itachi's chest. I muttered under my breath, "What have I gotten myself into? I just put my village and my life on the line." Itachi wrapped his arms around me. I didn't know what to do. There was only one solution. "As soon as I complete this transformation jutsu, I'm going to have to go home and see what happens from there."

I lifted my head and Itachi patted my head. "Don't worry so much, Camellia-chan. I'll help you every step of the way. Okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, smiling.

In one lightning fast yet fluid movement, Itachi stood up and moved to the bed. He slipped on his cloak. I gave him a confused look. "Pein's coming."

Just then, Pein knocked once and opened the door. "Ah, Itachi, Camellia," he greeted us. We both replied with a nod and a "sir". "Itachi, I am sending you and Kisame on a mission. Prepare accordingly and meet me out front so I can discuss with you the plans."

"On my way, Leader-sama," Itachi replied and Pein left. Itachi began to gather supplies reluctantly on the bed.

"If you don't know what kind of mission you're going on, how do you know what to prepare for?" I asked as I sat on the bed and picked up one of his shuriken, fidgeting with it.

"If Pein doesn't want to say it aloud to anyone but Kisame and me, it's obviously a dangerous operation or an assassination." This was the side of the Akatsuki I hated. Itachi sensed my unease and sat next to me. "In any case, I will be gone for anywhere between one and three weeks. Don't do anything too reckless, alright?"

I acted shocked and made an exasperated gasp. "Reckless? Me? Never!" I giggled and Itachi ruffled my hair. Then he proceeded to finish packing his things and grabbed his kasa from a shelf in the closet.

"Ja ne, nii-san. Please be careful," I waved as he opened the door. The nickname made him pause. He smirked.

"Ja ne, imotou-san. I will," he replied. And with that, he was gone.

* * *

_It finally set in then how much I really did think of Itachi as an older brother. He was always trying to make me happy and showed a side of himself that was new to everyone. Of course, in his absence, I was not as secure with the others as I was when he was around. But Konan helped me adjust and eventually, I grew a bond with most of the group. I had forgotten about writing in my journal for the first few weeks I was there. I had found it in the nightstand drawer one day whilst searching for something. Every night after that I sat in the den in the lonely armchair after dinner and wrote about my visit._

_I spent most days either studying or trying to master my transformation jutsu. On Sundays, Konan took me with her to the local village's marketplace so as to some fresh air and to take a break from my constant studying. Konan and I chatted and quite enjoyed each other's company. She showed me how to identify the freshest foods and where she bought the best homemade bread in the village. The merchants that knew her as a regular customer greeted her and conversed with her as she shopped. It was a wonderful experience and I always looked forward to going with Konan on those Sundays._

_In the three weeks Itachi was gone, I had managed to perfect my transformation jutsu. I had picked up a habit of sleeping in my wolf form and also some lupine behaviors. Now that I had fully tamed the Junibi, I would be able to go home. _

_In all honesty, I had more fun and was much happier with the Akatsuki than I ever would have on my own. I so wanted to return to Konoha, but I small part of me felt like I actually belonged here. Before, when Itachi first told me about the Akatsuki, my first thought was that he was in some horrible group of thieves and murderers, but I found that to be untrue. Sure, they sometimes planned to kill people or perform acts that most people would hate them for. But they didn't know who these people really were. They didn't know that Pein and Konan, the leaders, had a plan to end pain and suffering in the world and bring peace to all of the ninja villages. The only thing left to do was convince Konoha to see that light. After all I had been through, and by having this journal holding the records of my journey for the past year since I left with Sasuke, I didn't think I'd have much of a problem accomplishing this task. I was right; this wasn't so bad after all._

**(A/N): Sooo what did you guys think? Hope you liked it as much as I did ^^. Haha I want to sort of apologize for the strange words like "dinna" and "canna" and "winna". Our school is putting on a performance of Brigadoon and everyone in the cast is so used to saying those words that we canna stop. I even type them now. So, just bear with me until the Scottish tempation is over.  
Also, I dinna know if I did this already, but I want to give a big thanks to my friend Helen for drawing me a picture of Camellia. Arigato Helen! I'm going to try to find a way to post a virtual version of the picture on my DA account so you all can see it. And a request for you lovely readers... if anyone thinks they could draw me a picture of Camellia's wolf form? I dinna know anyone who can draw animals and I dinna want to make Helen do anything else for me cause I have nothing to pay her back with... money or talent wise =P. So, if anyone wants to help me out with that (and can actually somehow get me a copy, virtual or not) I would be eternally grateful.  
I think I'm going to stop talking now. My vision is all blurry cause I've been playing Inotia 2 on my iPod Touch all day hehe ^^;. So, I'll try to update next weekend. I'm getting so busy and my updates are getting later and later.... major gomen!!!  
Until next week, ja ne, my lovely readers!!!**


	7. Mindful Gifts

**(A/N): I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY!!! I know I'm like, two or three weeks late on updating... my computer crashed with two Trojan viruses and at least 1,000 other viruses and we had to completely wipe my computer's hard drive and start it all over again. Also, with us getting closer to show week for the musical, our rehersals run later so I don't have a lot of time to work on this. Pleaseeee forgive me T_T. I'm going to upload two chapters this week and hope to get one or two ready by next week. I'm going to keep this author note short since I know you all are dying to read! ^^. For now, ja ne!**

**Disclaimer:  
Deidara: C-Wolf does not own Naruto, un. All credit goes to Kishimoto-sama. So, enjoy the story, un!**

* * *

I opened my eyes to find the bedroom almost entirely bathed in sunlight. Still in my wolf form, I raised my head off of my paws to look out the window and there I saw a periwinkle sky with white, puffy clouds slowly breezing by. This was my favorite kind of day. It was fitting, considering what today was. My jaws then ripped open in a fierce yawn. A small chuckle behind me made me jump. The familiar smell of the outdoors and pain killers relaxed me. I turned my head the other way to see Itachi sitting Indian-style at the foot of the bed. He had one elbow propped up on his knee and his chin in his hand. I crawled over to him and bumped his arm with my nose and he began to scratch my ears.

"Happy birthday, imotou-san," he crooned.

"Arigato. Welcome home. How was the mission?" I said after I stretched into my normal form.

"That's not for you to worry about. Now, come on, follow me; I have something to show you." Itachi grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room and down the stairs into the kitchen. I took in a breath and smelled cake batter.

"Itachi, you didn't—" We walked into the kitchen where everyone was sitting, minus Zetsu, who was on another mission. I didn't see or know him enough to mind.

"Happy birthday!" the group cheered. Konan presented a plain chocolate cake for me. Itachi sat me down and handed me a knife so I could cut it. I sliced it into nine pieces and they were passed around. The group broke into a chatter much like what happens every time we are sitting at the table. I turned to Itachi casually as everyone laughed at a joke Deidara made. Itachi smirked. I became worried at what he was thinking. He whispered to Konan, whose face lit up almost instantly.

"Camellia-chan, would you like to open your gifts now?" she asked me.

"You guys got me gifts?" I said, astonished.

"Of course! We know how to celebrate around here. Come on!" Konan and the others rose, heading for the den to gather my gifts. Itachi took hold of my wrist once again and led me to the den behind the group.

"Just so you know, you won't be getting my gift until afterwards. Leader-sama doesn't want the others around when I give it to you," Itachi whispered.

"O-okay… You know, you didn't have to do this, Itachi," I half grumbled.

"We do the same thing for Konan. We like to pamper our women here," Itachi replied. I could tell he was inwardly laughing at me. In reality, I did enjoy the small party. It made up for the lack of celebration on my last birthday, the day I arrived at Orochimaru's with Sasuke.

The group settled themselves on the couches near the fireplace that Sasori was lighting. Deidara nagged him not to catch himself on fire, and the puppet man smacked him. Deidara then sat next to Kisame, who was sprawled out on one part of a couch, sake in hand. On the couch across from them, Hidan mirrored Kisame and Kakuzu mirrored Deidara. Hidan called to the shark man, who moved to sit with his white-haired friend and pushed Kakuzu one cushion over.

"Well, now we don't have to worry about major cleaning up after these drunk heads; they'll throw up in the same place and make it easier for us," Deidara jeered when Kisame moved.

Kisame laughed and continued the joke. "I wish you a happy birthday from deep inside my soul!" And he pretended to vomit. I smiled and shook my head at the immature men. Sasori took his place next to his blonde teammate and started conversation with Itachi, who was sitting next to me on the couch adjacent to the puppet. Soon after, Pein and Konan entered the room. Konan handed me some small, wrapped boxes and proceeded to sit on my other side. Pein sat in the armchair in the corner of the room to observe his subordinates, as he usually did. I found that whenever the group gathered for anything, he always kept distance to properly observe the behavior of the group. I didn't really see him as the life of the party anyway.

"Come on, open a present and let's get this going," Hidan drawled.

"Be patient, she just received them," Pein scolded.

"Yeah, Hidan, relax. Don't rush the poor girl, let her take her time, un," Deidara added.

"Oh, please, like we need another blonde in this group," Hidan snorted. Deidara shook a fist at the white-haired drunk.

Itachi raised a hand to silence the men. "Calm down, both of you. Camellia-chan, whenever you're ready."

"Okay," I said quietly, feeling attacked. Konan bit her lip, then smiled, reaching over Itachi, handing me a rectangular shaped object, wrapped in glittering white paper.

"Here, open this," her voice sweetly offered. "It's from me."

I delicately unwrapped the gift to see a black leather notebook. "Konan," I said as I flipped through the empty pages. "It's beautiful, arigato."

The kunoichi smiled. "I made it myself, actually. There's a special thread of chakra on each page that protects it from the elements, like water, fire, and wearing from age. I figured you'd like it, since you just filled up your last one."

I thanked her again and proceeded to open a loosely wrapped, circular shaped present. Inside was a spool of wire. It was then like my trapping wire, but made of strong steal instead of the inefficient aluminum I had been using before.

"That's from Hidan, Zetsu, and me," Kakuzu noted politely.

"This is great! My wire never lasted well enough to make certain traps, but this will certainly do the job. Arigato!"

Kakuzu nodded. Hidan had already fallen into a deep, drunken sleep. Kisame tossed a chain at me, which I caught with one hand and began to inspect. Hanging off of the chain was a small vile of clear liquid in a small frosted glass cylinder.

"That's a special vile of water," Kisame explained. "By adding just a bit of chakra, one drop could become a huge wave. You don't even have to have water as your main element to use it."

"Arigato, Kisame," I said. I picked up a small red box and opened that next. There was a little wooden bell inside.

It was Sasori's turn to explain his gift. "This is from me. The little ball inside the bell has some of my chakra absorbed in it. When you ring the bell at a certain force, no matter where in the world you are, the chakra in the ball will signal back to me. That way, if you ever need us, we can get to you easier."

"That's a very clever idea, Sasori. Arigato!"

"Hey, if you think that's something, check out what I got you, un!? Deidara made a cocky grin and pointed to a square box wrapped much like Sasori's. I opened the box. There was a silver chain, small enough to make a bracelet, with several small clay beads dangling off of it.

"Let me guess, exploding beads?" I asked him.

He laughed. "You got it. The white beads are regular detonators, the gray beads are smoke bombs, and the darkest beads are filled with poisonous gas."

"Arigato," I looked around then and noticed everyone, minus Itachi, had given me their gifts. I thanked the men and Konan once more. A scattered pile of comments replied to the gratitude. One more person, who I had forgotten about entirely, piped up.

"Camellia," Pein called for my attention. I swiveled my head in his direction. He threw something at me which I easily caught. "Welcome to the team," was all he said. I started at the small object in my hand. It was a single earring; the hoop didn't reach very far past the bottom of my ear lobe, and attached to the hoop was a charm that looked much like the top part of an Akatsuki ring. The gem was blue, like my eyes, and in black was the kanji symbol for tail. A determined look crossed my face and I looked back at Pein.

"So this is it, huh? I stay with you for a couple of months, agree to act as a link of peace between my home and here, and just like that I'm one of your dogs? And as for my ring name, you're mocking me, too?"

Pein chuckled. "You act as if you're reluctant to join our ranks. Are you offended? Or are you just beginning to realize what you've gotten yourself into?"

I stared at him with a softer gaze. In truth, I was happy that I was so easily trusted by the Akatsuki and that I was going to try and help my village, but I was also afraid. He was right, I was just beginning to realize what I was really getting myself into.

"You know, you're right. I may be a little afraid of what's going to happen next, but this is what I want. The only problem now is that I don't have my ears pierced." The tension in the room disappeared and Konan spoke.

"Well, I can help you with that! I've done all of mine and Pein's piercings, almost completely harmless."

"That's great! The sooner the better, right?" I replied.

Konan agreed and we rose from the couch, heading out of the den. Others started to leave as well, while some stayed to chat more. I looked at the earring in my hand. _This is it,_ I thought. _There's now turning back now. I'm not going to stop; this plan will work. I don't want to see my village or my brother get hurt anymore from war, and if what Itachi said was true, Pein's plan will not fail._

"So, what do you think? Does it look alright?" I asked Itachi. He and I were sitting on the bed, going through my gifts when I showed him my new piercing.

"It's nice," he replied hesitantly. "Don't forget, I still have to give you my present."

"That's right. Why couldn't you give it to me with the others?"

"I didn't want the others to see your reaction. It's, well, you'll see. Let me first show you what it is. Close your eyes."

I complied. I felt two of his fingers poke my forehead, the cold of his fingertips almost made me shiver. Suddenly, my eyes flicked open and instead of seeing Itachi, I could see numerous images flash at lightning speed before me. First, I saw the day I met Naruto and his friends, hanging out at Kiba's and learning of the massacre. After that I saw the faces of all my friends in Konoha, my teammates, the others in the Rookie Squad, our senseis, and even Tsunade, the new Hokage. Then I saw the Inuzuka family, smiling down at me. Next was when Kiba and I talked in the hospital after his fight in the Chunin Exams, and Kakashi dragging me away. The next image was watching Sasuke reject Sakura the night we left, and the fight between Naruto and Sasuke. The picture of my team blurred in, then out, and my mind relived the painful moments of the time my demon was injected into my system. I then saw myself talking to Orochimaru briefly before I was myself fleeing the hideout. After that, a slideshow of my meeting with Itachi, the duel with Kisame, and my first encounter with Pein passed in from of my eyes. Next, the faces of the Akatsuki appeared one by one, until Pein's came up, and a hand swept in front of my eyes and wiped his face out of view, only to be replaced with glimpses of the nightmares I'd had since I left Konoha. Finally, the nightmare came where I happily reunited with Kiba, then almost was killed by my comrades. Once again the vision of my team's picture came to view, clearer this time, zoomed in on me and Kiba. My earring symbol overlapped the image, hiding our faces. Tears filled my eyes and Itachi removed his fingers. I saw him briefly before I shut my eyes and began to sob uncontrollably. Itachi took me in his arms and rocked me back and forth, and once again that feeling of my sadness being absorbed returned. When I had finally calmed down, Itachi spoke.

"Camellia-chan, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to intrude like that. Those thoughts, do they always trouble you so? I can only imagine the pain those memories cause you."

"So, you saw everything I did. Is this mind reading?" I managed to say at last.

Itachi faced me again, letting me go from his embrace. "To an extent. You only see what you need to. For example, I was wondering what you were thinking about when Pein gave you the earring. I saw just that, and it seems you were thinking if what you did in the past to reach this point in your life."

"So if you wanted to interrogate someone, you could use that to gather only the information you seek," I clarified.

"Exactly. I want you to harness that power," Itachi replied.

"Why?" The question caught Itachi off guard.

"Why? Did you not read your books on shape shifting?"

"Of course I did. But what does that have to do with it?"

" 'In a non-human form, you must learn to talk through the mind, not the voice.' As you know, you can't talk in human tongue in your wolf form. This mind reading power will help."

"But the person I'm talking with would need to know the power to talk to me, the way you just showed me. How would me knowing the power be of any help?"

"It works both ways. One way is by both partners seeing the thoughts, no matter who is reading who's mind, as you saw. Another was is quite similar, you can send thoughts to your partner, because you both will see the thoughts anyway. It's basically like telepathy. Do you understand?"

"Yes, now I do. How will I learn that power though?"

"Like this," Itachi placed his index and middle fingers on my temples and pulsed his chakra into my head, a basic pattern of Sharingan covering his onyx eyes for a second before returning to normal.

I cursed when he removed his fingers. "Damn it, that hurts," I mumbled as I rubbed my head.

"It will for a few hours. I suggest you rest for a while. Now that you've completed your jutsu and are a member of the Akatsuki, you need to start thinking about when you're going to go home."

"What if I… what if I don't want to go yet?" I stared at Itachi, who was halfway off the bed before stopping mid-stand. He looked at me with a blank expression before poking my forehead again. The zoomed in image of me and Kiba from the team picture filled my vision once again. It made me smile.

"Trust me," Itachi was now at the door, "you want to."

With that, he was gone. My exhaustion finally kicked in and I decided to sleep. My smile still hadn't faded. Itachi knew better than I did what I wanted. I wanted Kiba. I wanted to go home and be with the one I loved. _I hope you haven't forgotten me, Kiba._ I thought to myself before succumbing to a much needed rest.

* * *

**(A/N): What did you all think? It wasn't my favorite chapter to write, since it was mostly detail and not very eventful, but this is probably one of the most important chapters of the story. It's kind of cute, because Camellia HATES birhday parties, butItachi throws her one anyway.  
Camellia: I oughtta slap him for that.  
Itachi: Well, it was a surprise, wasn't it? That's the fun of birthday parties, you know.  
Cam: Surprise? I'll give you surprise, Itachi. -evil grin-  
Itachi: I have a feeling this won't be good...  
Me: ^^; Too bad you're a pacifist, Itachi. Cause she's gonna hand you your ass on a silver platter if you don't defend youself.  
Itachi: Hn. This will be interesting...  
Cam: -runs after Itachi with Mekajiki in hand- This is for reading my mind and making me cry!  
Me: Well, you guys go have fun. Until next time, ja ne!**


	8. The Doodles Made Me Go

**(A/N): Hiiii everybody! I don't know about the rest of you out there, but where I am, there is wayyyy too much snow. Personally, I'm sick of the snow. But anyway, here's the next chapter! I liked writing this chapter. It wasn't as much of a filler as the last one. Just a warning: I'm not really great at poetry. There's a poem in the begining of the chapter and I don't like it a whole lot, but I couldn't think of anything better. You guys will be the judges of how good it is ^^. Soo.... let's move on to the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer:  
Me: So, I really wish I didn't have to do this every time... but I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! Not the characters, not the plot line, NOTHING!  
Camellia: -walks in dragging Itachi by his collar-  
Me: Uhm... hi?  
Cam: Oh, hi! Sorry I'm a bit late... did you already do the disclaimer?  
Me: Yeah...  
Cam: Oh, okay! Kishimoto is such a genius.  
Me: Why?  
Cam: For creating such awesome characters. -points to Itachi-  
Me: ...I don't want to know. Well, anyway, enjoy the story! Ja ne!**

* * *

By the time I woke up, it was dark outside. I slept the whole day, and hadn't even bothered to change into my wolf form before I fell asleep. I rubbed my eyes as the events of the morning came back into memory. The conversation with Itachi echoed in my mind.

_"What if I… what if I don't want to go yet?"_

_"Trust me, you want to."_

I quickly reached for my new journal to begin writing. I had to write down all of today's events before I entirely forgot them. When I finished, I realized Konan didn't provide a bookmark, so I decided to take the one from my last notebook out. Upon opening the notebook to the page the bookmark was, my eyes were suddenly filled with a page entirely covered in doodles. There was a poem in the middle that I didn't even remember writing until I saw it again.

"_It's harder to say hello_

_After the last goodbye._

_But as long as you don't forget,_

_Neither will I._

_Cause nobody knows_

_What this crazy life'll bring;_

_For every leaf that falls in autumn_

_Will surely come back in spring."_

I tried to identify the doodles to see their relevance to the poem. There was one of Naruto from his waist up, scratching his head, and by the looks of it, it was how he looked when I first met him in the Academy. There was a pair of doodles near by; one was a full body chibi of Hinata, standing in a shy slump with her hands behind her back. The person next to her was Shino. Only his head was drawn, covered mostly by his coat and sunglasses. A few bugs dotted over his head and a small speech bubble showed a dark little cloud, expressing his usual melancholy mood. I giggled at how well I captured everyone's expressions, from Hinata to Naruto to Sakura, even Lee. One single doodle at the top corner of the page jumped out at me most. It was a sketch of Kiba lying on the grass with his hands behind his head and one leg crossed over the other. His inky eyes and smile landed on me and my giggles ceased to a single placid smile. Snapping out of my trance, I bookmarked my new journal and began to throw my belongings on the bed. One thing was for certain; I was going home. Tonight.

* * *

_I remember drawing these chibis when I was with Orochimaru. The faces of all my friends being so close to me comforted me during those dark months. I don't know how I learned to draw, because I had never done so before I drew those doodles. Maybe it was a habit that I could only perform when I was sad, angry, scared or lost. That's how I felt while in Otokagure. The poem also had the same habit. I had written it as a reminder that no matter what happened, I would return home where I belong. People are like leaves, really. A person leaving for an adventure or moving to a new land was the same as a leaf, falling in the autumn off of it's tree. But in the springtime, they come back. People do that, too. They always come back to where they came from, because there is always something that keeps them connected to that place. However, if a person is gone long enough, they come back different than how they left. A leaf is the same way. A leaf falls off of its tree in either a brown or red color, but grows back onto its tree green and fresh. Things change over time; that is something we cannot run away from. But as long as something is able to leave, it is also able to return._

* * *

Itachi was sitting on the rooftop like he usually did when he was on guard duty. Although, I doubted that was the real reason he was up here, that he really spent the weekend nights thinking more than anything. I crouched down near the chimney and watched Itachi stare at the moon, his eyes searching the sky for something.

"Camellia-chan," Itachi said suddenly. I shrank back behind the chimney a bit more. "You can come out now. There's no use in hiding if I know you're here."

I sighed and walked over to sit next to the raven-haired man. I dropped the bag I was carrying next to me. My gaze shifted to Itachi, who was still staring at the moon.

"Itachi-san, what's wrong?" I knew he wouldn't answer me, so I touched a few fingers to his cheek and initiated the mind reading. Kisame and Itachi came into view, talking to one another.

_"What the hell is wrong with you?" _Kisame growled.

_"Hn," _was Itachi's reply.

_"Ever since you met up with that kunoichi in the Village of Artisans, you haven't been the same. When my shoulder was sliced, you didn't even care if I was okay or not, but you were all hugs and comfort with her. You put her first for everything; you almost declined a mission to be with her. The Itachi I know doesn't do that. You threw her a fricken' birthday party and none of us really knew her, which was uncomfortable. You've had me keep this secret about her little demon too, and Pein only knows because she tried to kill me. Twice!"_

_"Kisame, calm down. We celebrate Konan's birthday ever year too, don't we?"_

_"This isn't about the fucking birthday!" _Kisame nearly slapped his teammate. _"Look at yourself, Itachi; Mr. I-Killed-My-Clan-and-Refuse-to-Have-Emotion. What happened to that? Huh? You treat that damn girl like a kitten! I've seen you hug her, hell, I've seen you _smile _at her."_

_"I don't see the problem here, Kisame."_

_"There you go again, Mr. High-and-Mighty, Mr. Stoic! Answer me this: why are you so cold and heartless around us, but act like a genuine nice guy to her? Why is one puny, weakling of a girl, from _Konoha _nonetheless, so damn special?" _The two stared daggers at each other for a moment. Itachi stood there, stoic, blank, _scary_.

_"She's my imotou-san. She escaped from my fingers without me noticing, survived this monstrous experiment of Orochimaru's, then ran away to figure it out. All on her own. She left her village out her own free will, knowing the consequences, and wants to go back. All on her own. She's braver and more mature than a ninja her age should be, like I was when I left Konoha. She willingly joined a dangerous group of S-rank missing-nin without and ounce of fear or regret. Camellia is special and I know one day she will become a great shinobi. She's recreating all of my mistakes, but unlike me, she is finding ways to fix them."_

Kisame punched Itachi in the face, causing his head to snap to the side, then began to walk away. _"You ignorant little bastard," _was all he said.

I removed my hand and looked down dejectedly at my feet.

"Just because I gave you that power doesn't mean you can use it on me, you know," Itachi said as he looked at me. When I didn't look up, he chuckled. "Don't worry. He's just jealous. Leader-sama doesn't often hand out special privileges like he did for you. Kisame feels because I'm his partner, I should be his best friend."

"But Sharky has a point. Why are you so much nicer to me? I've noticed it too, and I'm not going to believe this whole 'respect' crap."

Itachi exhaled loudly, putting a hand on the back of his neck. "You want the truth? Let me tell you a story. One day, when I was training with Sasuke, he asked me if you were really adopted. I told him you were, and asked him why he was so curious. You know what he told me?" I shook my head. Itachi smirked. "He told me he was glad you weren't his real sister, because he was in love with you."

"And he was what, six? Kami-sama… he was a tramp even as a kid!" I threw my arms in the air to exaggerate my point. The two of us chuckled before Itachi continued.

"Anyway, I suppose he felt this way all along, and that's why he let you mother him around for the five or so years after that day. But he was mostly emotionless to anyone other than you, correct?"

"Pretty much. That makes so much sense."

"Then my suspicions are correct," Itachi became lost in his thoughts.

"Suspicions?" I asked in order to get him to continue.

"My guess is that Sasuke only let you follow him to Orochimaru's and wanted to keep you safe was because he wanted you to be in perfect condition for when he beat me. He wanted to prove to me that he could have you all for himself, almost like a prize, and that not only was he strong, but he had an easy chance to restore our clan. But that is not a fate you deserve, Camellia-chan, because you are stronger than that. I took you in and am protecting you because I wanted to know if Sasuke still had potential to beat me. But after spending these past few months with you, my mind has changed. I don't want Sasuke to defeat me anymore; I want to defeat him, solely to keep him away from you. Do you remember what I promised you when I met you in the Village of Artisans a few months back?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, truing to hole back my tears. We said the words at the exact same time, "'As long as I am here to protect you, you have nothing to worry about. As soon as I am not at your side, you are vulnerable.'" I hugged my knees to my chest and cried. Itachi, alarmed, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

"Please don't do this to me," I choked out.

"Do what, imotou-san? What's the matter?" Itachi inquired. The moonlight flashed on my Mekajiki, sheathed in the black leather scabbard that was strapped to me back. Itachi's eyes shifted towards it, knowing something was wrong for me to have my sword with me.

"I'm leaving, Itachi. I'm going back to Konoha. I cannot thank you enough for all you've done for me; I promise to keep my loyalty here, as well as in my home village. Itachi, I _will_ get Konoha to be on our side. This is my first test as a member of the Akatsuki and I will not fail."

"Camellia-chan, you know you don't have to prove yourself to anyone," Itachi let go of me so I could turn myself around to face him.

"The only person I have to prove anything to is myself, and that's what I plan to do. I don't think you realize that I've gone through all of this alone up until I met you. And now that I'm leaving you, I'm all alone once again. I'm the only one that can help me, so I need to prove to myself that I can do this; that everything that has happened so far wasn't a waste."

Itachi just held my gaze, his eyes speaking but his lips not moving. He was saying that he was proud of me, and that all he had said earlier to Kisame was true. Finally, he wrapped his cloaked arms around me and I returned the embrace.

"As a brother, I am proud of you. As a friend, I will miss you greatly. As a former Konoha ninja, I think you made the right decision. All I can do now is wish you luck."

I stood and slipped my bag on my shoulders, readjusting my scabbard so it was over the bag. I accidentally untied my Konoha neckband in the process and Itachi rose, holding it in his hands. I lifted the old, wearing material out of his calloused hands and knotted it loosely around my neck.

"Camellia-chan?" Itachi asked.

"What is it?" I replied.

"Don't do anything too reckless, alright?" His eyes twinkled with recognition. Without hesitation, I caught on and put on my faux shocked expression.

"Me? Reckless? Never!" Itachi smirked and ruffled my hair. A calm yet sad feeling swept over me then. I turned wolf beneath Itachi's touch and pressed my forehead to his chest. He stroked my fur a few times before I looked up and his and reached to lick his cheek. The raven-haired man chuckled once.

"Goodbye, my imotou-san. I hope to see you soon," he whispered at last.

Remembering how Itachi mention how I could use telepathy with the new powers he gave me, I decided to test it out. "Goodbye, nii-san. I will return someday soon," I struggled, but succeeded to reply.

With that, I jumped off of the roof and bounded through the forest floor until I was just about out of Itachi's sight. I stopped and pivoted, all four feet planted on the ground and tail straight down. I flattened my ears and lifted my muzzle into the sky, howling a deep and final goodbye. Itachi answered by attempting to copy my sound, and almost perfectly matched my pitch. I waited until he finished before I bounded off again into the darkness.

* * *

_From where I was, I gathered that it would take close to two days to make it home. I couldn't wait to see all of my friends, and I especially couldn't wait to talk to Tsunade about the allegiance and Pein's plan. If it worked, I wouldn't have to choose between love and family, wouldn't have to abandon anyone. I was going to be the link. As long as I didn't break, Konoha and the Akatsuki would never have to fight again. It was only a matter of getting to Konoha that would decide my fate. I hadn't even considered what I would do if this plan was rejected. But within the next few days, more was going to change than just a simple allegiance, and it all started the morning after I left the Akatsuki base._

**(A/N): Soooo, did you guys love it or what? Little bit of KibaxCam and ItaxCam in here. I finally got to share my sadistic fight idea that I mentioned a few chapters ago. But there's a little secret behind Itachi's words, but guess what? You all have to wait until almost the very end of the story to find out! Mwahaha!  
Itachi: Hn. Don't get so excited, it's not that big a deal.  
Me: Oh, yes it is! Anyway, isn't Sasuke such a jerk? The reason I did that was because I wanted Itachi to have a reason to want to actually kill his brother instead of wanting to be killed. I may or may not write about the fight in the perspective that Itachi lives... tell me if you guys want me to or not. Well, I'm going to go. I have some work to do involving this blasted musical. Until next time, ja ne!**


	9. Homecoming

**(A/N): Ehehehehe... hi guys. ^^;. I'm really sorry. My updates have been so slow lately... and I really miss you guys! As the chapters get longer and the story gets deeper, it takes longer to write. Plus, I have my own life out of this story that requires some effort too. I know, shocking, right? So, please don't hate me too much! This is the longest chapter so far, and one of my favorites to write. Very much KibaxCam. ^^.  
That all being said, I'm going to ask that you bear with me for these updates. I'm going to do so as much as possible, but I don't really know when the next one will be up. I hope this satisfies you all till then!  
I really have to thank my editor, Ashley, for being amazing. She took it upon herself to help me out and she does a great job. All chapters up to chapter 7 are updated, and I will be fixing chapters eight and nine as soon as she's done looking over them. Just minor grammar mistakes and poor word choices, nothing major. Anyway, let's just move on to the disclaimer. I want you guys to be able to read this chapter! :D.**

**Disclaimer:  
Kiba: Yahoooo! My turn! C-Wolf does NOT own Naruto or the original plot line. This is FAN MADE!  
Akamaru: Arrrrooooof!  
Me: Haha, thanks guys! Now, here we go! Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a simple trap. The wire loop was hidden under a layer of dusty earth and was tied to the three I was sitting on. The voices came closer, and a smile crept onto my lips. This would be fun.

Not long after I had woken up, I heard a distant voice yelling, angry and gruff. I sniffed at the air and could smell dog, along with a hint of blood and felt a few chakra

signs heading my way. When a small black bug circled around my head and landed on my hand, I came to a very reassuring conclusion: my team was approaching.

I set up the trap knowing Kiba would be the one to step into it. If I was going to reunite with my team for the first time in a year, I was going to do it right.

The team casually strolled into my view. Hinata was on the left, looking down at her feet, obviously angry and blushing. Her hair was much longer from when I last saw her, reaching halfway down her back. Her chest was also larger, bouncing slightly as she walked. Next to Hinata was a large white dog that was up to her elbow in height. I recognized by the dog's brown ears that it was Akamaru. Akamaru licked Hinata's hand, snapping her out of her miserable cloud and she stroked his head. Kiba was next to the dog. He really didn't look much different, although he was taller and fitter. His black clothing added an extra sexy quality to his slim figure. I took a double take on the thought and shook my head, dismissing it. I studied Kiba as he concentrated on his hand. Now I know where the blood scent was coming form. To the far right of Hinata was Shino, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. He was wearing a hooded jacket that covered more of his head than ever. His nose was all that showed on his face, and even that was almost hidden due to the shadow his hood cast and the sunglasses on his eyes. He looked up in my direction then, and the bug on my arm flew to him. I flashed him my signature smile. He looked away again and grunted.

"You okay, Shino?" Kiba asked the bug user.

"I'm fine. But I've been meaning to ask, how's the weather up there?"

"Up where?" Kiba asked before stepping into the trap. He yelped and thrashed as he was lifted off the ground and turned upside down. "What the hell! Who did this? Shino!"

I took this as my cue to jump down and join my team. Hinata squealed and hugged me, and Akamaru barked and licked my hands. I nodded to Shino, who shook my hand. Kiba, wondering what his teammates were so excited about, opened his eyes and ceased his thrashing.

"C-Camellia-chan?"

"Hello, Kiba," I turned towards him and offered a warm smile.

"Koinu! It's really you!" Kiba seemed to forget he was still hanging upside down until he attempted to run to me. He crossed his arms and scowled. "Get me down."

"Hinata giggled and Shino grunted. Shino whispered to Hinata something about an idea.

"Shino and I are going to walk ahead and find a tea shop. You two can catch up with us later. If that's okay," Hinata said. She seemed to lose her stutter and some of her shyness, but she was still not completely out of her shell by the way she fiddled with her fingers.

"Sure. It won't take me long to untie him. We'll be right behind you," I replied. The two nodded and began to walk off. Akamaru waited a few yards away from where Kiba and I were.

I proceeded to jump up to the branch where the wire was tied and let it go, laughing as Kiba yelled and hit the ground. He sat there rubbing his head and I leapt out of the tree, landing at his feet.

"What happened?" I pointed to his hand.

"Akamaru bit me. Guess I was too distracted by the blood to notice your trap," the dog-boy shrugged.

"Not exactly the sharpest fang in the set, huh?" I teased as I knelt down to untie my wire from his ankle.

"Koinu?" Kiba asked after a long silence.

"Nani?" I casually replied, not looking up from the wire.

"What happened to you? Where the hell did you go? You've been gone for a whole year. And where is that bastard of a brother of yours?"

"Kiba, relax. Sasuke is no where near me. I escaped from Orochimaru and left him. As for what's been going on, let's wait until we meet up with Hinata and Shino so I can tell you all together."

"Answer me one thing," Kiba said seriously, holding my hands still so I would focus on his face. "Are you coming home with us for good?"

I stared at him for a minute, gathering my thoughts. I didn't know how to answer him. So instead, I smiled and got up, coiling my wire and running to Akamaru. The large dog hopped around my feet and ran with me. Kiba beamed and began to chase after us.

He didn't catch up to us until we met up with Hinata and Shino, who found a small tea shop near the outside wall of a small village. There, we ate and I began to share my story, leaving out my meetings with the Akatsuki. I let the team flip through my journals and see the gifts I had been given the day before. They asked me many questions, and grew more and more excited as I continued my story. Shino seemed uninterested in the chaos, so I asked him the question that made me feel sick.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"I don't need visuals or evidence to be proven you are right. I believe you just by listening to you," I relaxed at his words. "But, I've been thinking about something. You said you don't know how exactly the experiment could have gone wrong. I think I know the answer."

"Really? What's the reason?" I almost was standing, completely focused on Shino.

"You've been claimed."

I stared at him, confused. I looked at Hinata who was just as confused as I was. Then I looked at Kiba. He was looking down at his empty plate and by the way his cheeks twitched, I figured he was trying not to laugh,

"I've been what?"

"You've been claimed," Shino repeated. "It's a mating method where the male send off, well, let's call it an essence of himself, and a willing female absorbs that essence. We call this process 'flirting.'" A blush highlighted Kiba's and my cheeks as we realized what he was implying. Shino continued, "Since you have absorbed Kiba's essence, and it happens to be partially canine as well as human, the chemicals Kabuto used reacted to the essence, therefore creating a canine based extension to your chakra, also known as a demon."

"So you're saying Kiba's and my flirting caused all of this?" My eyes were wide. I was so astonished by this discovery that I didn't even realize I had admitted to flirting with my teammate. I stared at Kiba, who stared back. The bill for our food had arrived and we departed from the small tea shop. I fiddled with the scroll in the sleeve of my dark blue kimono top. Akamaru licked the bit on my thigh that was right under my black shorts. I smiled and drew a small heart on his muzzle with my finger and he sneezed. I laughed, silently wishing I could join the giant canine in his furry, four-legged glory, but I still needed to talk to my teammates and I was not experienced enough yet to use telepathy with all of them at once.

"Hey, Kiba," I announced, suddenly having an idea. "Let's race; the first one to make it two miles wins a prize!"

"You're on, Koinu!" the dog-boy exclaimed and we bound away from the others. Hinata giggled and Akamaru sighed. Hinata looked to Shino.

"I guess there's only one kind of bug you can't handle," she said to him.

"And that would be?" the bug user asked suspiciously.

Hinata's giggles subsided into an easy smile. "Love bugs."

"We're here," Shino proclaimed, breaking the apprehensive silence that had previously fallen on my team. A wave of adrenaline washed over me and my legs bent slightly, anticipating me to burst through the gates of Konoha. A cold hand gripped my shoulder.

"Camellia, wait. You haven't been here since you and Sasuke disappeared a whole year ago. If you just suddenly burst in, things could be a bit chaotic. You don't know if anyone else will accept your return or not."

I pondered at this, and realized he was right. "So, what are we going to do?"

Hinata handed Kiba something. He then handed the object to me. It was a thin hair elastic.

"Tie up your hair and wear this," he unzipped his sweatshirt and shrugged it off. I used the hair elastic as an excuse not to look at the lean ab muscles under Kiba's thick fishnet shirt. When I was done tying up my considerably dirty crimson locks, I pulled the sweatshirt onto my shoulders, zipped it up, and adjusted my scabbard over it. Kiba yanked the hood over my eyebrows. I laughed, grabbing his hand, causing him to laugh too. He tipped up my chin with a lean, gentle finger. He examined the lower half of my face before speaking.

"You would look so pretty in red," he said mostly to himself.

"Nani?" My lips crunched into a puzzled pout.

"Oh, nothing. Here, you need to sit on Akamaru and act like a suspicious captive."

Before I could protest, Akamaru's head was between my legs and I was heaved onto his back. I pressed my knees right behind his shoulder blades and let my feet hang, my hands dug deep in the pockets of my disguise.

"Perfect. Let's go. Shino and Hinata are checking in at the gate. You alright, boy?" Kiba turned to his dog. Akamaru barked. He was saying how light I was compared to Kiba, much like Sakura. I was about to ask what the dog meant, feeling a slight pang of jealousy, but we started to walk to the gate. I was going to have to be silent until we reached Tsunade's office.

Kiba was greeted by two familiar voices near the gate. Kotetsu and Izumo asked about the mission, then about me.

"Who's the chick? Is she a threat to the village?" Izumo asked quietly.

"She's a rouge," Shino lied unctuously. "But we think she may be of interest to Tsunade-sama."

"As. Well then, have a nice day, guys," Kotetsu saluted the team and once again Akamaru lurched forward.

"_Kiba_," I said to him telepathically. "_What was Akamaru saying about Sakura earlier_?"

Kiba was the only person so far other than Itachi that I used my telepathy on. I had only used it on him once, and that was to scare the living crap out of him. It worked. Now though, he knew the power and kept his composure when I had asked him the question.

"_She was injured on a mission, so Akamaru had to carry her home. I promise it was nothing more than that._"

"_Oh, okay._" A lump of guilt formed in my stomach. I was hoping Kiba wouldn't sense that hint of jealousy in my question. But his response relaxed me. The defensiveness I had towards him was probably one of my lupine traits, which I couldn't seem to control on my own. I chanced looking up and saw the Kage tower in front of me. The lump in my stomach exploded into butterflies.

"_Don't be nervous_," Akamaru whined. "_We're right here for you_."

I smiled and stroked his fur. My team climbed the three flights of stairs in silence. At the door, Shino knocked.

"Come in," Tsunade called from the other side of the door. The door was opened and we entered. I slipped off of Akamaru so he could lie and rest. I stood next to Kiba and looked up at Tsunade. Her eyes locked onto mind coldly. I smirked, causing Tsunade to stiffen. Though she was looking at me, my eyes were still hidden by the hood's shadow. So, just slightly, I tipped my head. I knew she wouldn't recognize me, since a layer of amber took place in my irises between the blue and my pupils, but I decided to have a little fun with the Hokage until she figured out who I was.

"Will someone please explain to me why there is a ninja not of your team with you? Please don't tell me she's from the Sound," Tsunade had risen from her chair and sprawled her pale fingers on her desk.

"No, my lady, she's not one of them," Shino hissed. Otokagure must be a major problem these days for even Shino to respond the way he did.

"We found her on our way home, and she wanted to say hello," Kiba scratched the back of his head and gave off a toothy smile.

I took this as my cue to present myself. I unzipped the sweatshirt and slip the hood back. I handed the sweatshirt to Kiba and placed the point of my sword on the floor, leaning on the handle. Tsunade's jaw dropped. I nodded my head and saluted her, confirming she was really looking at who she thought she was.

"Get out! All of you! I need to talk to her privately," Tsunade barked.

Shino was first to the door, followed closely by Hinata. The Inuzukas didn't move, except for Akamaru's change from a lazy heap on the floor to a defensive crouch on his feet.

"Kiba, that means you too!"

"No," he replied curtly. "We stay."

Tsunade held a fierce gaze, then closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine. I really don't feel like arguing with a stubborn punk like you right now."

"Good luck, you three," Hinata shyly added. Shino led her out of the doorway and shut the door.

Kiba leaned on a nearby wall and Akamaru resumed his lazy heap. Tsunade sighed again and sat.

"Uchiha Camellia," she said. "It's been a while. I don't suppose your brother is with you as well?"

"That bastard is not my brother anymore," I growled.

"I can see much has happened in the past year. I wish to be enlightened by you adventures. But first tell me, what are your intentions for returning to Konoha?"

"I hope to come back and start from where I left off. I also have a proposition for you, but I must explain before I can share it."

"And do you honestly expect to come home so easily and be accepted into this village after what you've done?"

"No. That's why I want to explain myself. If you don't believe me, you can very well kick my ass out of this office yourself."

Tsunade smirked. "Very well, proceed."

"I'm sure you know all about the battles fought against Sasuke and the Sound Four?"

"Yes," Tsunade looked at Kiba, who looked down at the floor grimly. "Many ninja suffered the battle with him and the Sound Ninja."

"Well, after the fight with Naruto, Sasuke and I left. We arrived at Orochimaru's shortly after. Orochimaru wanted to kill me at first, but when I agreed to be his servant, he let me stay. At the time, I wasted nothing more than to keep Sasuke safe. About two months after the arrival, against Sasuke's orders to keep me away from Orochimaru's experiments, Kabuto was ordered to do just the opposite."

"What did he do to you?"

"This," I replied, closing my eyes. Akamaru rose and barked at me and Kiba tensed. In mere moments, I was in my wolf form. I was Akamaru's size, but my figure was more sleek and slender, yet still fit. The blue in my eyes had now disappeared. Akamaru stalked over to me and sniffed at me suspiciously. In response, I lightly whacked his muzzle with a massive white paw. Telepathically, I reminded him it was still the same me, and he backed away, satisfied. As quickly as I turned wolf, I was human again.

"What in the world is that, an artificial demon?"

"It had twelve tails, thus being the Junibi. But I've tamed it so that I can transform into a miniature, single-tailed version of what it was meant to be. Since it's artificial, I have more power over it. In fact, I sealed nine of its tails when I learned this transformation jutsu. If I can seal two more, it will eventually become an extension to my soul, not my chakra. You can't do that with a real demon, like the Kyuubi."

"Incredible," Kiba whispered.

Tsunade was astonished. "Remarkable. Please, continue."

"Hai. My body did not handle the change well when it first happened, so Kabuto spent the next six months teaching me to keep stability. I spend those months withdrawn, only eating enough to survive. Orochimaru kept me busy, slaving over him hand and foot. I finally asked myself why I bothered to follow my power hungry so-called brother. So I confronted Orochimaru. He told me to pack my things and leave first thing in the morning.

"Just like that, he let you go? He didn't just refuse or try to kill you?"

"That's right. He and Sasuke were going on a trip, so I left right after them without Sasuke's knowing."

"That's only nine months. Why didn't you come back until three months later?" Tsunade inquired.

"You know, you never told us that part of the story, either," Kiba added.

"I wanted to wait until now to tell you, Kiba. I didn't yet want to come home. I was afraid that I wasn't ready to face Konoha yet after all that was happening. I came across this place called the Village of Artisans. Something about that place drew me in. That something was Uchiha Itachi."

The Hokage's jaw dropped. The Inuzukas growled. When no one spoke, I continued. "He actually treated me quite kindly. He and his partner, Hoshikagi Kisame, escorted me to one of the four Akatsuki bases. There, I met the whole of the organization, even the leader himself. Itachi took it upon himself to care for me during my stay. He helped me in my studies to tame and control my demon and trained with me. During these three months, I really got to know the group and learned much about their intentions. A few days ago was the day that marked my absence from the village a year ago. It was also my birthday. Coincidentally, I received gifts from the members of the group. That night, I left to come home."

"The Akatsuki, who would imagine? One brother dumps you, the other picks up the pieces. Messed up family, if you ask me," Kiba retorted.

Tsunade was about to speak, but I interrupted her. "There's something about Sasuke you should know. He plans to gain power from Orochimaru so he can kill Itachi. My guess is that he will come for Konoha next to destroy the place that haunts him so. He wants revenge. If he does this, he will come after me. The only reason Sasuke has been nice to me, the reason he made me go with him, was because he wants me to help him revive the clan. I'll be his prize, his tool, if he accomplishes his tasks. There's no point in sending out ninja to go after him like that last time, because his mind is made up. Itachi is the only one who can stop him now."

The Hokage contemplated this. She ran a hand through her pale blonde hair. "It can't be helped. I'm afraid you're right. I have one final question, though. You said you have a proposition for me. I would like to hear about it, if you're finished."

I nodded. "Kiba, you need to leave."

"Why? Koinu, I can't just leave you without-"

"Enough, Kiba. I can only share this information with Tsunade-sama. I'll be fine," I reassured the dog-boy. Defeated, he and Akamaru bid us farewell and left.

"_I'm going to wait right outside the building_," Kiba thought to me.

"_If it will help you sleep tonight, then fine. I don't know why you can't let me be a big girl_," I joked. My attention snapped back to Tsunade. It was time to do business.

"Pein, the leader of Akatsuki, told me to give you this. He has a plan, and explains it in this scroll. I will let you read it, then answer any questions you need clarified." I slid the small scroll out of my sleeve and into my hand, presenting it to Tsunade. She accepted it, broke the seal, and began to read. When she finished, she addressed me sharply.

"Do you know what this scroll says?"

"Yes, ma'am. It states Pein's plan and his request for alligence."

"You do know he plans to kill you if I reject? You're fully aware if I agree to this, you will heave to jump from one home to another in the snap of our fingers?"

"Pein made it clear to me beforehand. He figured you would accept, so he have me this as a present," I pulled my hair behind my ear, revealing my earring.

"Damn it," Tsunade pounded on the desk. "He didn't make this very easy. I guess I have no choice."

I walked over to the blonde woman, who was now on her feet again with her fists pressed hard into the cracked wood of the desk. I gripped one of her shoulders and she looked at me, her eyes filled with a loose fierceness and defeat.

"I know this will work out. I will not fail you, Tsunade. I will keep the peace until my last breath. I will protect the people that need me, that is my nindo."

Tsunade turned to face me and help me square in the shoulders. "I may not know very much about you, since I only met you in that short time between my arrival and your leaving, but I can tell you are an amazing shinobi. You have had your fair share of troubles in the past, yet you've stayed strong. You came home, proving your loyalty, and have to deal with both a village with a team and an organization that most other villages do not respect, which shows bravery. You are intelligent in your decisions and may even match Shikamaru in strategy. You are a valuable kunoichi, and I would hate to lose you. I will accept Pein's proposal. You've gone through so much; to end your life now would be unfair. I know you will not fail me, the village, or your duty. I will send a message back to Pein as soon as possible. Camellia, welcome back to Konoha."

My eyes began to water. Everything had worked out. A huge burden was lifted off my shoulders and I felt more free than I have been in a long time.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Tsunade-sama. The only problem is that Pein does not wish to share his location. If you like, I can deliver the letter myself, or I can signal one of the members to come retrieve it."

"Signal? How?"

"One of my gifts is a bell. The frequency of the bell sends a signal to the person holding the receiver. The bell is infused in chakra, so range and distance are not a problem."

"I see. They're quite the clever group," Tsunade said, her previous display of emotion disappearing. "I don't want to deal with them in person quite yet, so I will send you to bring the response letter. When you return, I expect you to supply files on each member of the Akatsuki. Understood?"

"Hai. May I bring a partner?" I asked, excitement pouring from my very being.

Tsunade smirked. "Bring him in with you tomorrow morning to retrieve your scroll. Dismissed!"

I held up a hand sign and poofed out of the room and up on the roof. You could see everything from that point; the bustling marketplace, the thriving shops, and people making their way here and there through the streets. Iruka was out in the Academy training field, training the little children in weapon throwing. Ino was arranging flowers on the outer wall of the flower shop. Kakashi was in a tree reading his usual orange book.

Below the tower, Kiba was kicking stones near the door, waiting for me. I leaped off the roof, transformed into in wolf in midair, and landed directly in front of him. He smiled and patted my head. Akamaru yipped and we ran circles, chasing each other and playfully nipping at each other's tails. Kiba watched us with an expression on his face similar to the way a parent would use when watching its child making a new friend. When Akamaru bent down onto his front legs and wagged his bottom in the air, I perked up, looked at Kiba, and ran to him.

"_Go get him, tiger_," Akamaru encouraged me as I ran. I pretended not to hear him, but his words made me smile. He had known from the very beginning that his master loved me, and he was happy I finally realized it, too.

Kiba crouched down to my level and held out his arms. When I reached him, I accidentally bumped his nose with my own. I held it there an extra second, my wolf instinct telling this was a sign of affection. The Inuzuka looked at me dumbstruck. I curled my lips into a smile and sneezed in his face, breaking his trance, and scampered off again. He laughed and followed me. Akamaru and I ran a few circles around him before finally calming down. We each took a side next to Kiba and began to walk. He patted us both on our heads.

"Whataya say, Koinu, want to stay for dinner? My kaa-san and nee-san would love to meet you. Human, of course," Kiba said.

I barked happily and turned human. The sun was setting fast, and the tangerine light extended our shadows across the cobblestone path. Akamaru lightly shoved Kiba so his hand would bump mine. Both of us locked fingers from the contact and blushed.

But we didn't let go.

* * *

**(A/N): Soooooooooo! How was it? Was it worth the wait? I write all my chapters in a notebook before I type them up so I can work on them in school and stuff, and this chapter took 16 pages in that notebook! Phew!  
Some kid in my math class asked me who I would bang from the Naruto series. Hands down, I chose Kiba. Sorry, Itachi! I still love you!  
****So, I decided to do a Word Count on this story in Word Doc, and it told me there were 4,442 words. On here, before I started the author notes, it said 4,558. Confused much? But I am proud to say I now have a chapter that broke the 4,000 work mark. Woo hoo! I think I'm going to write little previews at the end of my author notes like they do in the anime. Here's the first one. Don't forget to send me oodles of wonderful feedback! I want to hear what you all think, what I can improve on, so on and so forth.  
****  
The story continues, and Camellia is back home! With the help of Akamaru, Camellia and Kiba finally realize they are in love with each other and begin to show it! Also, Tsunade accepts Pein's proposal and Camellia is now off to deliver the news! Who does she plan to bring with her? What does this simple, delivery mission have in store for our hero? Find out next time!  
Until then, ja ne, my wonderful readers!**


	10. Confronting, Confessing, and Confusion

**A/N: So, I think you guys are really sick of me apologizing for these delays. But anyone in high school would understand that third quarter is the worst part of the year. I've been pretty busy lately, and there's been a little tension around the home lately. So, just bear with me here. This is a short little filler chapter. Hope I didn't lose to many of my wonderful readers... hehe ^^;  
Seeing as how it's spring break and I have two twelve hour train rides in store for me next week, I'm hoping to have two or three chapter for you guys. Maybe that will make up for all my delays. Also, I've made a few changes... I changed the story summary to fit the actual plot a little better. The rating was also changed from M to T becuse I decided against heavily implying/writing a lemon scene. Finally, Kiba has been added to the specific character search. Anyway, here's the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer:  
Kiba...? What are you doing?  
Kiba: -flips a switch, and a neon sign lights up, saying "THANK YOU KISHIMOTO!"-  
Me: o_O!!! What the hell?  
Kiba: Well, we owe him a lot. Cause without him, we wouldn't have such a great story! ^^  
Camellia: I knew I shouldn't have given him that cookie...  
Me: You gave him a cookie... what was on it, meth?  
Cam: No. Bacon.  
Me: ... Well. Uhm, yeah. I think it's clear that I don't own Naruto, the plotline, nothing. And yeah, thank you Kishimoto for the influence. Hope you like the sign... Enjoy the chapter!**

_

* * *

_

_On the way to the Inuzuka compound, Kiba and I met up with many of my old friends. They were all excited that I had returned, which made me feel like I was doing the right thing. If Sasuke had come back, things would have been much different. I had asked Tsunade to explain the situation of my return to everyone after I left for my mission in the morning, so I kept my conversations short and told everyone that Tsunade would explain everything later. I was too exhausted from my trip to fully feel the effect of coming home._

_I was told that Naruto was on a two year training expedition with Jiraiya and left only a few days after his fight with Sasuke. His goal was to bring me and Sasuke home; little did he know things wouldn't turn out in his favor. I laughed and said that Naruto would be disappointed that I was home already since he wouldn't get the chance to drag me back. But a little part of me felt sorry for him that he wouldn't be allowed to search for Sasuke anymore. I told Tsunade that getting Sasuke to come home was as easy as teaching Lee ninjutsu._

_My stay with the Inuzuka family was wonderful. I easily made friends with Hana, Tsume, and their dogs. Tsume seemed very interested in my wolf powers and said she would love to observe them one day. I was invited to stay the night, since the Uchiha compound was closed until further notice. I gladly accepted. I was warned, however, I would have to share a room with Kiba, and that he usually slept restlessly; he sometimes even kept Akamaru up at night. That night, in my wolf form, I snuggled up close to Kiba and slept next to him. He didn't move at all during the night._

_The next morning, Kiba, Akamaru, and I headed over to Tsunade's office to begin our mission…_

* * *

"I still think it's too dangerous," Kiba grumbled, his hands gently resting on the back of his head.

"We have nothing to worry about. If you really didn't want to come, you could have just stayed in the village," I replied. It was halfway into our first day of traveling. I hadn't yet told Kiba I was actually a part of the Akatsuki yet. I knew he was starting to get suspicious, though.

"Hey, Camellia, who's going to get the prize?" Kiba suddenly asked.

"Prize for what?" I asked, puzzled.

"We raced, and you said the winner would get a prize. But nobody really won; it was a tie."

"Oh, right. Maybe we both get a prize then."

"What's it going to be?"

I thought about it for a moment. I was joking when I said it, but I forgot I was competing against an Inuzuka; they will do anything to claim victory. "We can each choose what we want. And the other has to comply."

"Fair enough. Oh, my kaa-san wanted me to ask you something. See, since you're a part of my team, you're also a part of my pack. Anyone in my pack is a part of my family's pack. Kaa-san likes to watch out for her packmates, specifically you. We want to offer you to stay at our home, since yours is, well, not really yours anymore. She also wants to become your sensei, and teach you to use your wolf to fight like we do."

"In other words, you want me to join your clan?" I faked a serious look, which Kiba mistook for a real one. He looked nervous. After a few tense seconds passed by, I began to giggle. One of the dog-boy's eyebrows rose and his lips vellicated.

"What's wrong with you, huh? Do you think this is funny?" he asked angrily.

"Nothing's wrong Kiba, and I'm not laughing at you. I'm just happy. I would love to join your clan and stay with your family. I would love to train with Tsume-chan. Kiba, I love you," I announced joyfully.

"Camellia, I love you too!" Kiba said before he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around in a circle. We laughed and he set me down. I half expected the rest of Konoha to materialize in front of me, but when they didn't, I knew I wasn't dreaming. I trailed a finger down one of the red triangles on Kiba's cheeks.

"Your answer was my prize. Now you need to choose yours," he said softly, tapping my nose with his finger, making me giggle.

"Kiba, I don't need a prize. Right now, you've given me everything I've been wanting since the massacre; you've given me a home, a family, and a chance. There is no better prize than that."

Kiba cupped my cheeks, smiling warmly. He began to lean in closer to my face when Akamaru barked sharply. We heard a rustling in the bushes and assumed a defensive crouch. I immediately recognized the person that came out of the bushes. My legs felt like jelly and I felt sick to my stomach.

"Hello, Camellia-chan. Looks like I finally found you."

"Sasuke!" I screeched. I lunged at him, turning wolf. He easily knocked me out the way, causing me to fly through the air and land roughly next to Kiba. Kiba charged at Sasuke with a kunai in hand. Sasuke flashed his Sharingan and caught Kiba's eye. The dog-boy fell on the ground instantly.

"_Take him to safety_," I barked to Akamaru. The white dog managed to shrug Kiba onto his back and dashed off. I turned my attention back to Sasuke. His Sharingan was deactivated.

"I would rather not fight you, imotou-san," Sasuke said, irritated.

"_Don't call me that! I know what you plan to do; Itachi won't let you kill him. I will not be your weapon_."

The raven-haired boy chuckled deeply. "You really think that bloodthirsty bastard will be of any help? He won't kill me, and you will be mine." He began to advance towards me. I quickly transformed and unsheathed my sword, holding it defensively in front of me.

I caught sight of a senbon that flew by just inches from my face. The senbon gave me an opportunity to swing my blade at Sasuke. I was able to make him stagger right into the senbon's path. It stuck right into his neck, causing him to collapse.

A wave of rage carried my legs to the unconscious Uchiha and I raised the Mekajiki with the intention of killing him. Just then, the figure on the ground exploded into a puff of smoke. I dropped my arms and looked in the now empty spot first in confusion, then in rage. I let out a yell that reached the heavens. I felt a smooth hand on my shoulder.

"It wasn't him, Camellia, it wasn't him," a voice said.

I turned my gaze to see Sasori and I relaxed. "I want to kill that bastard when I see his real face."

"This isn't your fight; don't disappoint Itachi."

"Yeah, I know. What are you doing around here with Deidara?"

He sighed. "To be honest, I'm glad I reunited with you here; I was sent to find you. Are you alone?"

"No, I have a teammate nearby. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no. It's a bit embarrassing, actually. I was sent by Itachi. He wants to make sure you're okay. What brings you this far out of Konoha anyway?"

"I'm delivering Tsunade-sama's response letter. She doesn't want to meet you guys yet, so I was sent to give the letter to Pein."

"That's understandable. Let's go find your teammate."

"Wait, Sasori," I grabbed his sleeve so he wouldn't walk away. A few nervous butterflies flew around in my stomach. "He doesn't know I'm one of you."

"You can't hide it forever now, can you" Sasori began to walk. I hesitated, and then followed him.

* * *

I watched lazily as smoke from the small campfire billowed out of the top of a hut Sasori and I constructed. Kiba lay in his sleeping bag, still under the effect of Sasuke's genjutsu. Akamaru was lying next to me, his head in his paws, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Sasori was adjusting the joints of his arm. He didn't bother to bring Hiroku with him, since he had no intention of fighting anyone.

"Sasori," I addressed him softly.

"Hm?" he said, not looking up his work.

"If Itachi is so worried about me, why didn't he come himself?"

Sasori sighed. "Honestly it wasn't really Itachi who sent me. It was Pein. You see, Pein wanted to know Tsunade's response as soon as possible, and he wanted to prepare us incase the offer was declined. He wanted to send Itachi, but your brother was not so keen on the thought of you dead. None of us are, really, but you understand it was much harder for him. So, I was chosen in his place."

"Pein wasn't kidding when he said he would not accept his offer to be turned down. I'm glad Tsunade agrees with Itachi in the sense of my life," I chuckled once and shook my head. "I really hate how this is all centered on me."

"Just wait until a war breaks out. The attention will kill you," Sasori joked. My ears perked as I heard Kiba softly groan.

"_He's awake_," Akamaru and I said to each other simultaneously. I made my way over to the dog-boy and kneeled next to him.

"Kiba? Are you alright?"

He moaned again and propped himself up on his elbows. "Considering the fact I feel like I was sat on by a bear, I feel great. Where are we?"

"We're about then miles from Konoha. We're going to head back to the village in the morning."

"What about the letter?"

"Sasori is going to bring it back to Pein."

"Who's Sasori?"

"He's a member of the Akatsuki. He helped me make this hut and saved me from Sasuke, who happened to only be a clone. But it was thanks to him that Sasuke didn't get to me first," I turned to look at Sasori, who then came to sit with us. Kiba watched him carefully.

"Konnichiwa, Kiba. I'm glad to see you're feeling well," The redhead greeted.

"Uh, yeah, hi to you too. _How do I know I can trust him?_" Kiba asked me after greeting Sasori.

I sighed. "You can trust him the same way you can trust me." I slipped my hand under the bangs that covered the right side of my face and hooked the hair behind my ear, revealing my silver and blue earring.

Kiba sat up. "Traitor!" he yelled.

"Kiba, listen! I'm the link of peace between Konoha and the Akatsuki. I'm helping Pein achieve a plan of peace in the world, and giving our village a strong ally in the process. I'm still as loyal to Konoha as I ever was!"

"Psh, yeah, okay. I bet as soon as Konoha is in trouble, you're going to run back to that bastardly group with your tail between your legs!"

Sasori had left the hut without acknowledgement to let Kiba and I settle this fight. He wasn't one to be kept waiting, but he also wasn't comfortable being in the middle of a fight that wasn't his. Akamaru whined for us to calm down, but when we didn't, he lay on the other side of the hut to wait for us to finish.

"That's not true, Kiba! Do you honestly think I would come back at all if I didn't give a damn about Konoha?"

"Well, you sure didn't care about it enough when you abandoned us for Sasuke!"

"Maybe I was wrong, okay? I was young and stupid as a genin. I fled from him for a reason, you know. But I want to fix my mistakes and give back to Konoha what I took from it! Is that so hard for you to deal with?"

"So, by joining forces with a bunch of crooks you don't even know and claiming that you can help our village because of them and their plan, you want me to deal with that?"

"They're not crooks! I know them much better than you think I do. Once you get to know them, you will realize they're genuine people, not the monstrosities people claim them to be! With their help, Konoha will never again have to go through a destructive war! Pein will bring peace to the world!"

"And what will you do if another war does break out?"

"I'm not saying a war is completely unavoidable. Pein needs time to achieve his goal. But I will do my part to keep Konoha safe and make the process of world-wide peace faster. I will not fail the ones I care about, and I will keep my village safe. That's my nindo."

"You sure are one hell of a fighter, Koinu. No matter what the argument, I can never win."

I slapped Kiba's cheek roughly. When I realized he was making a joke, I leaned over and wrapped my arms around him. Relief filled my body and tears rolled reluctantly down my cheeks. Kiba returned my embrace.

"Oh, Camellia," he crooned. "I'm sorry. You know this situation much better than I do, and I will support you in every choice you make. I didn't mean what I said, okay?"

"Thanks, Kiba," I replied. He let go of me just as Sasori reentered the hut.

"I'm assuming everything is cleared up?" Sasori asked. We nodded and he continued to speak. "Well, I've decided that it would be best for me to leave now. The sooner I return to base, the better."

"No," Kiba interjected. "If it's alright with you, I would like to talk to you. I don't fully understand what your group wants with us, and you'll have more answers for me than Camellia will."

Sasori pondered this for a moment. The crackling fire kept my attention, and soon I started to drift into a daze. One moment I saw the fire, the next moment it was gone. I saw a young version of Sasuke standing on a pier, panting.

"_Sasuke-san, you're getting better!_" A seven year old redhead squealed. I soon recognized this girl as me.

Young Sasuke clicked his tongue. "_Not nearly good enough_," he said.

"_Sasuke-san, I know you want to be like Itachi nii-san, but you're trying too hard. You're gonna hurt yourself._"

"_I want tou-san to be proud of me. And I want to impress you and nii-san_."

My small self giggled. "_Sasuke-san, you're so funny_."

Sasuke rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. He then worked up an attempt at his Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu and the fireball in my memory turned back into the small fire in the hut. I heard my name and looked up.

"What do you think, Camellia?" Sasori asked me expectantly.

"What was the question?" I replied.

"Are you willing to come train with us at the base for one week out of every month?"

I turned to Kiba. I could tell what he was thinking without reading his mind. "Yes, I am. I'll be sure to pass it by Tsunade-sama. But I have one condition."

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"When I request him to, Kiba must come with me."

"I see no problem in this, and I know you have your reasons. But now it is I who ask for one condition."

I mocked Sasori's previous response, causing him to chuckle once.

"The dog cannot come," the puppet said, pointing to a now sleeping Akamaru.

Kiba opened his mouth to protest, but I silenced him. "_Three's a crowd, Kiba. This is the Akatsuki, not some other village. Once your kaa-san begins training me, you can fight with me if needed. How often do you think we'll need to fight any enemies on our trips?_"

The Inuzuka looked to his dog, grumbled, then looked back to us. "Fine."

"Well," Sasori clapped his hands together. "You two get some sleep. I might as well stay the night incase you need me at all. Good night."

"Good night," Kiba and I replied, Kiba proceeded to his sleeping bag with me close behind. I turned wolf and settled my head onto Kiba's chest, his arm draped over my shoulder and across my chest. He sleepily stroked my neck until he fell asleep. I took in the smell of the fire and let the smoke clear my mind and was soon joining Kiba in a blissful slumber.

* * *

The next morning, we said goodbye to Sasori. It was agreed that the hut we made would be used as a meeting place for Konoha and the Akatsuki. I was responsible for securing the hut by setting traps around it. I had no complaints with that. I had already began to start looping wires and sharpen weapons when I opened my mind to search for Sasori. When I addressed him, he spoke.

"_I have a suspicion that the clone Sasuke you saw yesterday means that the real Sasuke is getting stronger and preparing to make a move. I'm going to survey the area to check, but for now, please be careful. We don't know when he will strike. Now that he knows where you are, we should only assume he won't hesitate to attack either Konoha or Itachi in the near future._"

"_Arigato, Sasori_," I replied. "_I'm more worried about Itachi, though. Remember I'm the prize, not the target._"

"Hey, Koinu, you alright?" Kiba's voice snapped me out of my concentration. "You look a little spacey. Something on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing," I smiled warmly, yet reluctantly. "Just visualizing a good trapping strategy. You and Akamaru should go train a little while I finish. You could use the exercise after that genjutsu."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Holler for us when you're done. Come on, Akamaru." The dog barked at his master's command and they trotted off a ways from the hut.

The whole time I spent working on the traps, I couldn't get Sasuke's voice out of my head.

"_I want to impress you and nii-san_."

"_He won't kill me, and you will be mine_."

"I will not be your weapon," I whispered to the dispassionate wind. "I will not be your weapon!" I shouted, the wind unmoved by my display of anger. Sighing, I stood, memorized the layout of my work, and walked in the direction in which the Inuzukas had gone. Putting the thoughts of Sasuke and my past with him behind me, I decided it was time to go home.

* * *

**A/N: Okay. Let me just start by saying a few things. Yes, Kiba is a little out of character at some points. But, it fits with the story. And I'm not trying to change him completely, so don't flame me for that. Also, sorry if the Sasuke clone bit seemed a little..... random. I don't know how I came up with it. But Camellia needed a little reminder of what she needs to fight for and against in order to follow her nindo.  
I know this is a filler chapter, but if you have to remember any chapter in this story thus far, please remember this one. I can't tell you why. But you'll figure it out. Ja ne!**

In the next chapter:  
Camellia, Kiba, and Akamaru head back home, again. Kiba prepares to turn Camellia into an official Inuzuka, but is he ready himself? Tsume must also prepare for her newest family member and will begin to teach Camellia the ways of the Inuzuka. How does Camellia feel about all of this? Tune in next time to find out!


End file.
